Barrie McKay

Barrie McKay (born 30 December 1994) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker or as a winger for Heart of Midlothian. McKay has previously played for Rangers, Greenock Morton, Raith Rovers, Nottingham Forest, Swansea City and Fleetwood Town. He also appeared once for the Scotland national team.

Early life

McKay was raised in Barrhead and began his career as a youth player for Kilmarnock, where he spent seven years. He was released by Kilmarnock due to a hip problem which their medical staff feared would cause him long-term problems. McKay was then signed by Rangers in the summer of 2011. He played regularly in their under-19 side at the age of 16 and ended the season as top goalscorer.

Club career

Rangers

McKay made his first-team debut for Rangers on 13 May 2012, in a 4–0 win against St Johnstone. On 11 August 2012, he scored Rangers first goal in their first match in the Third Division, a 2–2 draw against Peterhead. On 11 September 2012, McKay pledged his future to Rangers for another five-years. After a great start to the season, his form dropped and as a result he was dropped to the bench with Fraser Aird taking his place. After a few matches on the sidelines, he reclaimed his place in the starting eleven with a stunning performance from the bench against Alloa Athletic, in which he scored two goals in a 7–0 win. From that point on, McKay established himself as a key player in the team, putting in several excellent performances, including in a 3–0 win against Elgin City and a 4–2 win against Montrose, racking up a number of assists in the process.

On 27 December 2013, he joined Greenock Morton on a one-month loan deal. As there were no U20 League fixtures until January 2014, this was to give him some much needed game time, with McKay expected to be available for five fixtures in his time at Cappielow. On 28 January 2014, his loan was extended until the end of the season.

McKay signed for Scottish Championship club Raith Rovers on 1 September 2014, agreeing a loan move until 1 January 2015. On 31 December 2014, it was announced by Raith Rovers that McKay's loan deal had been extended until the end of 2014–15 season.

The arrival of new Rangers manager Mark Warburton in June 2015 saw McKay appear more frequently in the first team. On 19 August 2015, he scored his first goal for Rangers since November 2012, in a 2–0 win over Ayr United in the Scottish Challenge Cup. On 15 February 2016, McKay extended his Rangers contract until May 2018. On 17 April 2016, he scored a long-range goal to put Rangers 2–1 up against Celtic in the Scottish Cup

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