McKay can be big star, says boss
MARK WARBURTON insists revitalised winger Barrie McKay can blossom into a genuine top-level performer for Rangers. The 20-year-old had been farmed out to Raith Rovers and Morton in previous seasons as the early promise he showed at Ibrox threatened to go unfulfilled. Warburton, however, has restored McKay as a key squad member since taking charge in the summer. And he firmly believes the Murray Park graduate can scale the heights in his career if he builds upon his recent progress. ‘When you go to a new club it’s a blank canvas,’ said Warburton, whose side face Livingston in a Petrofac Training Cup quarter-final tie at Ibrox this evening. ‘You can’t have any pre-conceived ideas. I didn’t know much about Barrie McKay but from the first day at training he caught the eye. ‘Technically outstanding, the quickest thing at the club, he’s 20 years old, he can play left or right, in midfield he can play eight or 10. What’s not to like? ‘At the weekend (against Queen of the South), for the first 20 minutes he was excellent and they were doubling up on him. Barrie has the potential to be a real talent at this football club. He’ll get better and better.’ Asked what McKay had to add to his game to take the next step, Warburton added: ‘With younger players, the key is consistency. ‘It’s easy when you’re young to have four or five games at a high level then have a drop-off, and sometimes a big drop-off. ‘Barrie has started most games this season but he had one small drop-off. We had a chat to him and his reaction was great.’ Danny Wilson could return to the Rangers side tonight after missing the Queen of South game with a minor calf injury. Longer-term absentees David Templeton and Cammy Bell remain sidelined.