JAMIE BARJONAS is confident he can rise to the challenge of forcing his way into the Rangers starting line-up after committing his future to the club for another three years.
The midfielder made four appearances for the Light Blues last term after boss Pedro Caixinha handed him his debut in the win over Partick Thistle at Firhill.
He also turned out against Hearts, Aberdeen and St Johnstone as he caught the eye in the final weeks of the campaign.
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The arrival of the likes of Ryan Jack and Graham Dorrans in the summer pushed Barjonas down the Ibrox pecking order but he has come off the bench in the Premiership clashes with Kilmarnock and Hearts in recent weeks.
Now he is determined to catch the eye whenever possible as he looks to earn more first team opportunities in the coming months.
Barjonas said: “I’m delighted. I’ve been at the club for such a long time and from such a young age, so to be able to sign a new, two-year deal is a great feeling.
“I’m finally glad to put pen to paper. Training with the first team every day has been a step-up as the standards are higher and the demands are higher, but it is a lot better for my development.
“I can feel myself improving every day and I am delighted to be training with them every day. To get into squads and then to get onto the pitch is an add-on, and it’s great.
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“Playing with players such as Ryan Jack, Jason Holt and Graham Dorrans – they have had a lot of experiences, like Graham who has played in the Premier League.
“So being able to train with them every day and picking up on the certain things they have been doing in training is a great way for me as a young player to develop.”
Barjonas may have found first team chances harder to come by in the opening months of the campaign but he has still turned in impressive performances in Light Blue.
The 18-year-old has been part of the Development Squad that have embarked on a new fixture schedule under Graeme Murty’s watch this term.
Barjonas told RangersTV: “The games I played in the Games Programme at the start of the season I felt were a lot harder than the Development League last season, and that was definitely a good way to develop, and I scored three goals in four games, so I was definitely doing well and I was enjoying myself.
“I can see the rewards for it now being with the first team, and it has been great to see that the Games Programme can lead to under-20s getting into the first-team.”
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