jintybear 8,536 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/15572610.Jamie_Barjonas_determined_to_lead_by_example_as_looks_to_realise_his_Rangers_dream/ EXCLUSIVE Jamie Barjonas determined to lead by example as looks to realise his Rangers dream JAMIE BARJONAS led the way for the next generation of Rangers stars last term as he made his big breakthrough in Light Blue. Now he knows he must lead by example in the middle of the park if he is to follow in the footsteps of his Ibrox idol and realise his boyhood dream. The midfielder made four appearances for Pedro Caixinha’s side in the closing weeks of the campaign and more than held his own in the Premiership. Read more: Rangers unhappy at Carlos Pena trial by TV case after Mexican is cleared by SFA Compliance Officer He produced accomplished showings against Partick Thistle, Hearts, Aberdeen and St Johnstone and gave Gers fans a glimpse of his potential. Barjonas has been involved with Caixinha’s first team squad once again this time out as he pushes for a place in the Light Blues line-up. And the 19-year-old is determined to stand up and be counted and show that he can be relied upon to make his mark in the middle of the park. “I try my best to be as much of a leader and be as positive as I can in games,” Barjonas told SportTimes. “When we get to the stage where there are a few leaders in the 20s team, we will really start dominating games. Hopefully we can get that quickly. “It probably started for me at Under-17s when I was the skipper. From then, I have definitely tried to make it a trait of my game where I am the leader and I can control games. Read more: Rangers midfielder Jamie Barjonas hopes he can shine on the international stage for Scotland “When you have got good players in your team, it makes it easier to understand where you need to go, what you need to do. I want to have that in my game. “Barry Ferguson was a big idol of mine when I was growing up and that is who I want to play like. He played in my position and he was a great captain. “If I can implement into my game what he had in his game then hopefully I can go far. I have never met him but I have watched him a lot.” After making his debut in the win over Thistle at Firhill, Barjonas came off the bench in successive matches as he was handed his first outings on home soil. On the final day of the season, Caixinha rewarded the midfielder with a starting spot as Rangers rounded off the campaign with a win at McDiarmid Park. Read more: Eusebio Cup organisers apologise to Rangers after Benfica clash is called off The Light Blue legions have kept a close eye on Barjonas’ progress and he is thankful for the support that he has received. He said: “Hopefully I can continue to perform and get into the first team more often. “I want to play for Rangers and I will do as much as I can to make that happen. “I am not getting recognised or anything like that yet! But I got a lot of messages on Twitter saying that I didn’t look out of place and that I was putting in good performances. “That is what I wanted, to just do as well as I could. I didn’t want to look out of place.” Those early outings in Light Blue were the realisation of a lifelong ambition for Barjonas but he has taken nothing for granted as he seeks further first team action. Read more: Rangers unhappy at Carlos Pena trial by TV case after Mexican is cleared by SFA Compliance Officer Auchenhowie has been his home from home for more than a decade now as he has progressed through the youth ranks. And the Scot is determined to make the most of the chance that he has this term as he looks to catch Caixinha’s eye once again. Barjonas said: “This is my eleventh year here. I have never had any doubts about being at Rangers and I want to be at this club for as long as possible. “I am relishing the challenge and the hard work that I need to put in to get there. I am dedicated to making sure I play for the Rangers first team. “The manager said to me at the start of the season that if there was a chance to bring me in then he would do that. “He saw me playing last season and knows he can trust me and knows that I can fill that role if there is a space. Read more: Rangers midfielder Jamie Barjonas hopes he can shine on the international stage for Scotland “I am trying to train with the first team as much as I can and play as much football as I can.” It is the first team arena where Barjonas wants to showcase his talents but the Auchenhowie kid has other challenges to rise to in the coming weeks. He remains an integral part of Graeme Murty’s second string as the Gers look to reap the rewards of their new games programme at youth level. And Barjonas is confident being pitched in against the likes of Feyenoord, Man City and Benfica will bring out the best in the Light Blues hopefuls. He said: “We know the way we want to play and the style of play we want to have. We are trying to implement that on other teams. “We tried to do that last year in the Development League and now we are trying to do it on bigger teams and against more challenging teams and players. Read more: Eusebio Cup organisers apologise to Rangers after Benfica clash is called off “Once we get to the stage where we are implementing our style of football, that is when we know we are able to take the step up. “When you go into a game and you don’t know how they are going to play, you are going to need leaders. “The game might not be going your way so you need leaders to be able to take control of the game, take control of the team and bring players together. We don’t bother about teams, we just look at the way we want to play and taking that into games.” Barjonas was not the only Auchenhowie prospect that Caixinha put his faith in last term as he dipped into his second string in the final weeks of the season. The Ibrox board have invested time and money into the youth system as Craig Mulholland and his team look to mould the next generation of Gers. With the right people in place, the players must now emerge from the production line. Read more: Rangers unhappy at Carlos Pena trial by TV case after Mexican is cleared by SFA Compliance Officer Barjonas said: “Since Craig has come in, it has definitely changed the mentality and it is so much more positive. “I feel a few years ago there were energy-sappers playing in the youth ranks. We went through a few seasons where we were really struggling and it wasn’t going well. “But the new games programme and everything Craig is trying to implement has made a massive difference, not just to training but the whole squad. The positive mentality and confidence that we have all got right now definitely helps. “There are a few of us that train with the first team so the talent and the work ethic is definitely there. Myself, Aidan (Wilson), Myles (Beerman) have all made our debuts and there are other players who have the talent and the work-rate to get in there as well. “Craig has said that everyone has got the same chance so you need to work hard, keep trying and hopefully we can get as many through to the first team as possible.” Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhW 4,669 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumbGER 24,518 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 The lad seems to have the right attitude and seemed fearless when he played last season, he looked very comfortable and composed on the ball and took the transition to the first team fine considering how poor the first team squad was last season. Hope he gets a chance to get involved, with Jack suspended, and gives the manager something to think about going forward. If he impresses he could stay in the team with Dorrans shifted to the left in a more advanced role that would suit him as he has the ability to influence the game more. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
graeme_4 34,350 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Good interview. Interested to see how he progresses. Nice seeing stuff like this for a change, rather than pish about what one no mark blogger said to another. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackrfc95 4,255 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Have a feeling he'll make more of an impact in our first team than Hardie will. I'd like to see him sitting in midfield alongside Jack with Dorrans playing slightly further forward, think that could work well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
glasgow argyle 1,093 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Good luck to the lad. If he turns out half the player his idol was.(barry)we will have a winner. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camshy 812 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Good luck to him but if you are not making it onto the pitch, even once or twice then I think you stand little chance of making the grade in a Rangers shirt. As tough as it sounds he needs to be in the first team to have any chance of achieving his goal.....I wish him well but it looks a tall order to me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hilts 12,819 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Definite tarrier but. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
onefootwillie 1,518 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 9 hours ago, jackrfc95 said: Have a feeling he'll make more of an impact in our first team than Hardie will. I'd like to see him sitting in midfield alongside Jack with Dorrans playing slightly further forward, think that could work well. I think that would be well worth trying . He looks one of the best of our young players and really needs first team football now so he can kick on . I think he would do well in that role Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.