Jeff Spiers believes young defender can be example to emerging talent at Crusaders after making senior impact in recent weeks

The 20-year-old spent the first-half of this season in the Championship with Paul Kee’s side, making 13 league starts at the Blanchflower Stadium before returning to Seaview in January.

With injuries to key squad members like Rory McKeown and Jimmy Callacher, Barr has slid into the centre of defence alongside Daniel Larmour in recent weeks, putting in what Spiers called a “man of the match” performance in a 2-2 Premiership draw against Dungannon Swifts and starred again last weekend in their first league win of 2024 at Loughgall.

Barr will hope to make an impact in today’s home clash against Glenavon and is also providing proof to the likes of 16-year-old Ryan Donnelly, who was on the bench at Lakeview Park on Saturday, and teenager Jonathan James that they too could step up to the senior ranks.

"He was man of the match last weekend against Dungannon Swifts and he has put in another 9/10 display against Loughgall,” said Spiers. "I think his spell at Harland & Wolff Welders has done him the world of good.

"It definitely is important to bring through the next generation. We had another young lad in Ryan Donnelly on the bench and we’ve a couple of players who in the next year or two could make the grade.”

Victory in County Armagh thanks to Ross Clarke’s second-half header marked the first of 2024 for Stephen Baxter’s men and they’ll be hoping to use that as a springboard heading into the final weeks of this season.

They currently sit fifth, which means their spot in the European play-offs is all but secured as they chase qualification for a remarkable 13th time under Baxter, but Spiers wants to continue looking up the table with fourth-placed Glentoran in their sights.

"I hope that we can use the win as momentum,” added Spiers, who will be on the touchline once again this afternoon with Baxter serving the third of his four-game ban. “I think we only need three points now and we’ll be in the European play-off which is our main aim.

"We have nine games left and we want to try and finish as high up the league as we can and hopefully get a home draw in the European play-off.

"Everything is about tempo and momentum. You can get into spells of winning games and it becomes a habit, but sometimes you get into wee spells of losing games and that can become a habit too. We’ve came to a very tough place and put in a good performance.

"Even if we’re lucky enough to win (against Glenavon) we can’t take our foot off the pedal because you’ll get into a rut. Tempo is so important and you need to keep going and going.”