BARRIE MCKAY insists he won’t take his Rangers starting spot for granted this season as he faces fresh competition for a Light Blue jersey.
The winger was one of the star performers for Mark Warburton’s side last term as he inspired the Gers to the Championship title, Petrofac Training Cup and Scottish Cup final.
McKay grabbed his chance to impress as he made 49 appearances during an eye-catching campaign but knows he will have to make an impact all over again in the coming weeks.
He said: “There’s a lot of competition for places and it’s healthy to make you push yourself a lot more.
“The signings he has brought in are high quality and they can only make the side better.
“If I don’t perform I won’t play, it’s as simple as that. I need to keep performing to get into the team - and stay there. I welcome the competition.
“It was the same last season and you have to push yourself to perform better than the player who already has the shirt.
“Last year I was enjoying my football and played a lot and I hope to play a lot again this season.
“They (Warburton and David Weir) came in and said it was a clean slate and put a lot of confidence in me, without even realising it. They don’t shout at you if you make a mistake and they always encourage you to do the right things.
“If you see a pass and make it and it doesn’t come off, that is what you’ve seen. They try and build your confidence, rather than knock you down.”
Boss Warburton has added strength and depth to his squad in recent weeks as Rangers set their sights on the Premiership title this season.
Croatian star Niko Kranjcar is just one of the players that McKay will have to compete with for a place in the Ibrox forward line in the top flight.
But the 21-year-old is confident he can play an influential role for Rangers once again and prove himself at a higher level.
He said: “I want to score more goals this season. When you are scoring goals people remember you more whereas if you are assisting you go under the radar a bit.
“It’s a team game so whether it’s an assist or playing a pass that leads to an assist I’m happy to be part of it.
“I felt Lee Wallace and me built up a good partnership last season and teams tried to stop that.
“He (Kranjcar) is a very intelligent player. When he joins in training you can see the quality level go up even further.
“It’s a joy to play into him and get it back and knock one-twos with him. He is a clever player – a top quality player.”
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