Falkirk will have the SPL Player of the Month on their side when they travel to Pittodrie on Monday. The fact that Darren Barr's contribution to Falkirk's cause has been recognised by the league's sponsors has delighted his manager John Hughes. Barr's form has been pivotal in the Bairns notching up six clean sheets in their last seven games to give them a chance of making the top six. A win on Monday in front of the TV cameras will see Falkirk having a end of season run in against the league's elite after the split. Although Hughes' focus is solely on his preparation for the trip to Pittodrie, he was ecstatic about his captain's award. Hughes said: "He wears his heart on his sleeve but he does everything, he is so humble. He takes it in his stride, he will be more embarrassed with the award than anything else. I think he is one of the reasons we are keeping clean sheets. He is different class, he has a real good knack of being in the right place at the right time. When it falls in the box it falls to him but that's him learning to read the game."
Hughes expects the Bairns to get a decent return from the investment of handing the captain's armband to Barr. The added responsibility has seen him lift his performances further and develop as a player. The Falkirk boss said: "I gave him the captain's armband and that responsibility and you can see him maturing in to it. The reason I did it is because I think he is going to be here for the next three or four years at least. We are growing our own and I can see him growing into that captaincy. The reason I am saying that is because he leads by example." While Hughes is not surprised Barr's consistency has been recognised, he knows that other clubs are taking notice of the young centre-back. He added: "My phone has rung once or twice, it has been nothing concrete but it's been a case of people enquiring about him and asking to be kept posted about what is happening with him. He takes responsibly on the training pitch and always trains hard. He is one of those captains that does not say too much but says it by his style of play."
