Rangers ace Barrie McKay accepts his form has not been good enough this season

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Glasgow Rangers consolidated their position in the Scottish Premiership table with an important win over Hearts at the weekend.

Rangers winger Barrie McKay has told the club’s official website that he has probably not been good enough this season but suggested that he has responded to his critics with his performance during the Gers’ win over Hearts at Ibrox.

McKay scored what proved to be the clinching goal during Saturday’s contest after Rob Kiernan had given Mark Warburton’s men a first-half lead against their rivals for second place in the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers’ Barrie McKay (R) in action with Livingston’s Jackson Longridge

However, the goal has proved to be something of a rare moment of quality from the 21-year-old this term. In his previous 22 appearances this season, McKay has scored just once, and only contributed three assists in the top flight.

And speaking after the game, he conceded that he has not been at his best, before offering an explanation as to why he feels he has been off the boil.

“It has been great to come back into the starting line-up, I have probably not played my best football at the start of the season and I have been criticised quite a lot but I think today I answered those critics,” he told the club’s official website.

Barrie McKay celebrates with James Tavernier

“I feel a lot fresher now, I missed a few games and was coming off the bench but it was probably a good chance to be able to recharge my batteries as well.

“To play every single game and then go into the Scotland squad over the summer and then come straight back into the team was tough,” he later added.

“But every young boy is going to get a dip and hopefully that is me through it now.”

Rangers manager Mark Warburton

McKay has proved against some of the best teams in the country that he has the quality to be a match-winner for the Light Blues, and Warburton will be hoping that his display against Hearts boosts his confidence considerably.

And with the race for second looking like it could well go right down to the wire this season, the Rangers boss will know that McKay rediscovering his very best form on a consistent basis could have a big say on whether it is the Ibrox side that see off the challenge of Aberdeen and Saturday’s opponents.