Barrie hopeful new boss will make him man in the middle

BARRIE McKAY is acutely aware how wildly contrasting a new manager’s view of a player can be compared to his predecessor.

Ally McCoist’s regime selected McKay only three times in two seasons and sent him on loan to Morton then Raith Rovers before Mark Warburton arrived to rapidly form a different opinion.

For that, the winger will forever be grateful. He starred for Rangers last term, earned Scotland recognition and has overcome an early-season dip to return to top form.

If he had one little, selfish wish as the club prepares for a new boss, it might be that the Rangers manager’s fresh set of eyes identify McKay’s talents as perfect for a central role in his team.

The 22-year-old, who nominates Chelsea schemer Eden Hazard as his ‘complete footballer’, has long held the ambition to move inside.

‘Maybe, as I get older, I would like to develop into the No 10 role,’ said McKay (right). ‘I think I would thrive in there and it would be up to me to make that position my own.

‘The more experience I have, the better understanding of football I will have to play in that position. I’ve hardly played in the middle.

‘But if I ever got asked to play in the middle, I would enjoy it. I’d like to play in central but I’m happy playing wide. I’ve probably played there most of my time.

‘You don’t know if the new manager sees it that way. Whoever comes in — or if Graeme Murty takes the team forward — it’s up to the manager.

‘And wherever I play, I’m happy as long as I’m playing.’

Wherever the next boss believes Rangers will be best served playing their £6millionrated talent, McKay would like to weigh in with more of a contribution in front of goal.

Wednesday night’s strike against St Johnstone was only his fourth in 35 appearances, following on from nine from the previous campaign.

‘My biggest criticism is that I don’t score enough goals, so I need to add them to my game,’ he admitted. ‘I stay out and do shooting on the training pitch and things like that.

‘But it’s more about trying to get yourself in the right areas. The other night was probably

the most shots I’ve hit in one game.

‘That’s been down to myself and Graeme is pushing me forward and making sure I am pushing myself to get in those areas, getting in at the back post.’

Murty may be stepping aside from his interim guidance of McKay but, if there was a last word to offer, it would be that he at the very least sets a scoring aim to reach by the end of May.

‘We encourage all our forward players, at all of our age groups, to have an end product,’ said Murty. ‘If the end product is assists or if it’s goals, I think it’s really healthy for them to have a target at the start of the season. ‘I’d be interested to talk to Barrie to see if he set himself one. ‘If not, then I would encourage him, sit down with him and ask him to set himself a target between now and the end of the season. ‘He possesses some wonderful attributes. He has a low centre of gravity, he moves really well with the football. ‘I did a debrief and really praised Barrie for the four or five instances where he’s run 70 yards and chased people down and made tackles because it’s something he’s renowned for.

‘He needs praising in that and to make him understand that when he doesn’t have the ball at his feet he can still add value to the group.

‘He finds it really easy to drift off a line, which makes it uncomfortable for the defenders and that’s good.

‘I think he’s that rare one who doesn’t necessarily need to look at the football all the time when he’s dribbling with it. He actually can go and link the play really well.

‘Those attributes could take him to being great and that would be my challenge to him. Good is good. But it would be far better for him to be great.’

Murty has stood in since Warburton left the club three weeks ago.

‘I owe Mark loads,’ admitted McKay. ‘Before he came in, I would probably be leaving or going back out on loan. He gave me my chance.

‘He put a lot of belief in me, he put a lot of work in — him and Davie Weir. For my performances last year and, even this year, I owe him a lot.’

Warburton claimed that Rangers were on the brink of securing McKay on an extended contract, talks which appear to have been shelved in the midst of managerial upheaval.

‘I think they are probably waiting until they have got somebody in,’ said McKay.

‘My agent met them and they were pretty keen to get it done.

‘I am waiting to hear again. I want to be a part of this. Rangers is a massive club.

‘I am happy to be part of it for however long they want.’