The making of Hearts star Barrie McKay as former Rangers boss reveals the 10 minutes that changed everything

Mark Warburton returns to the same phrase seven times in under ten minutes when discussing Hearts star Barrie McKay. “Very talented”.

Anyone who has cast their glance towards the Tynecastle Park side this season may well have come for Craig Gordon or Stephen Kingsley but stayed for the team’s creative spark.

It’s obvious McKay is a “very talented” individual, the way he lights up and decorates a game. The manner in which he moves with the ball, the stop and start, the way he takes care of it before delivering one of those decisive passes. It is like looking through a kaleidoscope. Dazzling and colourful.

Yet, the “very talented” description, has not always been there. No one knows that better than former Rangers manager Warburton. In fact, when he took over at Ibrox in 2015 he was issued with a note of caution. Essentially warned not to expect much, if anything, from McKay.

Rewind seven years and the then 20-year-old had returned to Ibrox from an unsuccessful loan spell at Raith Rovers. He had not left a favourable impression amongst the fans of the Fifers across 25 appearances.

Warburton, along with Rangers legend David Weir, had arrived at a club which was at a low ebb following an unsuccessful attempt at promotion from the Championship. The squad needed a whole lot of TLC.

“We came in and had nine players on the first day,” the QPR manager told The Scotsman. “We got Barrie over to make up numbers and the feedback was that he had been at Raith Rovers, hadn’t been that successful, hadn’t been that great. It was very negative feedback on Barrie.

"I think within 10 minutes David and I were very, very impressed. Technically so sound, so strong, clever. He was very bright and stayed with us for the entire pre-season, played