Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has been less willing to give youngsters a chance since his summer spending spree.
Jamie Barjonas may have only made his Scottish Premiership debut in May but demands are likely to increase for the 18-year-old midfielder to be given another opportunity to show off his huge potential in Rangers’ first-team.
Pedro Caixinha showed a willingness to give Rangers’ young players a chance last season, David Bates, Myles Beerman and Aiden White all making their debuts after the manager was appointed in March.
However, Caixinha has given the club’s Auchenhowie youngsters less of an opportunity in the opening weeks of the new season, the talented trio all yet to make a league appearance in 2017/18.
This is most likely due to the fact that Rangers strengthened a weak squad in the summer, centre-halves Bates and Whites falling down the pecking order following the arrivals of Bruno Alves and Fabio Cardoso while Beerman faces fresh competition from Cardiff City loanee Declan John.
However, Caixinha should consider bucking the trend for Barjonas. A key player as Graeme Murty’s Under-20s reached the Scottish Youth Cup final last season, the Glasgow-born midfielder shone in a goalscoring performance against Brighton’s academy side on Wednesday night.
And even though Rangers are hardly short of options in the centre of the park, Graham Dorrans, Carlos Pena and Ryan Jack arriving in the summer while Niko Kranjcar and Jordan Rossiter returned from long-term injuries, Barjonas’ superb technical quality means he should not be far away from first-team selection.
“I have played in front of 50,000 at Ibrox. There is nothing I want more than to have that again,” the youngster told the Evening Times following the game with Brighton.
Keep performing as he is and Barjonas’ dream should come true sooner rather than later.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
