FOR a footballer with such a big talent, Barrie McKay is fan of the smaller things in the game.

The Rangers winger was never going to be one football’s giants. He is five foot seven, just, and can’t weigh much more than eight stone in a wet duffel coat. In an era when big is best, the 22-year-old is a bit of a throwback.

He was at Hampden yesterday to launch something called the EA FIFA Game Zone at the football museum (for the kids) and, as he spoke to the press, he sat not far away from a wall with pictures of Rangers wingers in the Hall of Fame.

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Among them were Willie Henderson, Davy Wilson and Willie Johnstone, all great players and all really wee. McKay will do well to get close to that company.

He has a chance. Like all wingers, consistency is a problem, but when on his game this lad a joy to watch.

And when it comes to those McKay looks up to, he tends to admire guys who he can look in the eye.

He said: “I enjoy watching Eden Hazard at Chelsea, especially the way the start of my season went. I look at the criticism he took last season but now he is back and flying again. It shows how fast things can change.

“He is a similar size. You look at the way footballers are developing now. They are a lot bigger, stronger and faster. When you watch the little people they do equally as well.

“When you look at Hazard he is a top, top player and one of the best in the world at what he does and where he plays. He is a quality player.”

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Hazard plays as a number ten – albeit at a much higher level - and more than a few Rangers supporters who would quite fancy watching McKay pushed into a more central role.

“It is up to the gaffer where he puts me,” he said. “I am happy wherever I am as long as I’m in the team and not sitting on the bench. I am happy out wide but equally as happy inside.

“When I was growing up that is where I played. I think I could go in the middle but at the same time I still enjoy playing wide. It just depends on the game where I would be best suited but you would need to ask the gaffer where he would want to put me.”

For Rangers to move forward, they need to keep the likes of McKay. There is not a lot of money swirling around Ibrox and players who can beat defenders with a slight dip off their shoulder do not come cheap.

He has 18 months left on his contract and while there have been no talks so far, McKay is pretty relaxed about what is on the horizon.

“For me right now it's just about playing football,” he said. '"f they come to me then they come to me. Until they do it's up to me just to keep doing well'

“I don't think there is anything to be gained from thinking about it too much. You can start letting it affect your performances and stop playing so well. I am quite a chilled guy and that probably helps me in these situations.”

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The question every young Scottish player gets asked these days, at least those with a first touch, is when they will fancy heading to England. How we all wish it was not the case.

McKay is not so much laidback as horizontal and so he’s in no rush to hurry over the border.

He said: “I'm here and I've still got 18 months and if they want to look at extending it they can come and talk to me, but until then it's up to me to keep performing to the level I can and keep progressing.”

And England?

“Maybe, you just have to see how it goes. I could be playing well right now, but next year maybe I won't play so well, so you have to just take it as it comes.

“Touch wood it doesn’t happen but you could get an injury and that could affect what you have planned. Just now, I am happy at Rangers and I am happy to stay.”

Before all that, there is the small matter of an important Scottish Cup match at Ibrox against Motherwell on Saturday.

Rangers have one crack at a trophy this season and it’s this one. They could do with avoiding defeat at the weekend.

McKay said: “Every cup we go into win. To get silverware on the board would mean a lot to the boys and the club to keep adding to the trophies we have already got.

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“And to stop Celtic getting the treble... the fans would be equally as happy as us winning it.

“We worked so hard to get there last season, as Hibs did, but to be beaten at that final hurdle did hurt a lot and took a while to stop running through our minds.

“You come to a club like Rangers to win trophies. To get that opportunity would be second to none and it is something we want to do.

“If you are not winning games, drawing them or whatever then you are going to get criticism. You come to Rangers because you can deal with whatever is said about you.

"We just need to keep getting on with it.”

Wise words from the wee man.