The stats behind Connor Barron's Scotland call-up and how Rangers star compares to Celtic's Callum McGregor

Alongside Josh Doig and goalkeeper Jon McCracken, Barron finds himself promoted to Steve Clarke’s senior set-up following the withdrawal of James Forrest, Che Adams, Robby McCrorie and Greg Taylor and will aim to ensure he remains part of the head coach’s plans for the upcoming Nations League campaign after his bright start to the season.

While Scotland are particularly strong in midfield, with Napoli duo Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour likely to form part of a three-pronged midfield alongside John McGinn, the recent international retirement of Callum McGregor does open up a squad spot that the likes of Barron and Ryan Gauld will be aiming to prove they can fill on a permanent basis.

The 22-year-old has been a rare bright spark during a difficult opening month for the Glasgow giants following his free transfer move from Aberdeen in June. A standout in a lacklustre campaign for the Dons last year, Barron has long been tipped as a future Scotland international after several impressive performances for the under-21 squad.

However, with the likes of Luke McCowan and Lennon Miller also showing excellent form - why has Barron been handed the opportunity to stake a claim for the vacant midfield role, what do the stats say, and how does he compare to recently retired Celtic captain McGregor?

Why Connor Barron has been called-up and McGregor comparison

While Gilmour will be the expected ‘water carrier’ in the absence of McGregor, the Rangers midfielder is showing promise when it comes to performing that particular role in the years to come. Barron is statistically the best passer in the Gers midfield by some distance, making 62.7 accurate passes per game - almost double that of his midfield partner Mohamed Diomande, whose total is just 39.6 in comparison. The only midfielder with a better passing accuracy this season? Of course, Celtic captain McGregor, who makes 75.5 accurate passes per game, while new Hoops team mate McCowan is on just 30.2.

Interestingly, the 22-year-old is the only midfielder in the Scottish Premiership to even get close to the Celtic skipper when it comes to the accuracy of his passing too, making 246 successful passes in comparison to McGregor’s 302. The pair’s passing accuracy is almost identical too, with Barron’s passing accuracy rate (91.8%) just ahead of McGregor’s (91.2%). Barron is the league’s best midfielder when it comes to long range passing currently, making 3.31 accurate long balls per game 90, in comparison to McGregor (2.3) and McCowan (2.9).

Match involvement - and where Barron can improve

One area that Barron is perhaps lagging behind at present is his impact on the game and how often he is involved, though that could largely be attributed to his age and inexperience. The now retired McGregor is comfortably the best midfielder in Scottish Premiership, and it is proven by how often he is given the ball by his team mates. He also takes more touches than 97% of players in the Scottish top tier, tallying 94.8 touches every 90 minutes, while Barron is behind, taking more touches than just 56% of other players in the Scottish Premiership and making 79.5 touches per 90. Replicating what McGregor can offer is a task that is too far ahead of Barron at the moment, though there is reason to believe he can improve on this immeasurably as he grows in experience. McGregor also creates more chances than 65% of the division in comparison to Barron’s 49%, while also making 33 recoveries, in comparison to just 16 from Barron.

The verdict

While his club side have struggled in the opening throws of the campaign and already trail rivals Celtic by five clear points, the underlying statistics prove why the young midfielder has been afforded an opportunity to impress Clarke and his coaching staff in the upcoming double header with Poland and Portugal.

He won’t - and can’t - offer anywhere near the talent, experience and quality that McGregor can and is not yet able to fully take games by the scruff of the neck akin to the way he does, but Barron has shown he has a real eye for a pass and is efficient with both long and short balls in the centre of the park. His leadership and impact on the game will not yet be able to replicate that of the missing McGregor, but with Gilmour able to step into that role, Barron is an intriguing option that will be afforded time to find his way at international level without pressure.