Barrie McKay explains his fluctuating Hearts form - and why he wants two trips to Turkey this month

Describing his performances this season as “hit and miss”, Barrie McKay is fully aware he is yet to peak. Hearts supporters did not see him in full flow until after Christmas last term, so perhaps the best is yet to come once again.

That doesn’t mean McKay is satisfied with mediocrity. In some matches he has touched the heights, such as September’s Europa Conference League away match against RFS in Latvia. Others haven’t been so fruitful. He started 18 of Hearts’ 20 competitive games to date and would be entitled to bemoan a touch of fatigue during the most congested period of fixtures in the club’s history, but that’s not his thing. He is simply motivated to make an impact this week in Turkey against Istanbul Basaksehir.

Some thrilling displays last term saw the 27-year-old hailed as something of a sorcerer after arriving as a free agent in September 2021. He took time to find his feet back in Scotland following spells in England with Nottingham Forest, Swansea City and Fleetwood Town. As his physical fitness improved, so did his contributions. He finished the campaign with more assists than any other Hearts player.

This term he is still to reach top gear, although he remains an automatic starter under manager Robbie Neilson due to his ability to produce unexpected moments of magic. “It's probably been a bit of hit and miss,” said McKay. “I've had good games and bad games but you need to keep going and trust what we're doing. It's not as easy as: 'You get the ball and just do this or do that.' We have really good players in the team. As long as we are winning, that's all that matters.

“For me, it's all about keeping building and trusting the process. When I came in last season, I was probably quite a slow starter. That's maybe what people are expecting differently from me this year because I've had a full pre-season. My real stats didn't really kick off until after the winter break. I'm still creating chances and getting myself into positions. Where I am at the moment, they are maybe not falling in the right place.”

He is mature enough not to let the difficult moments skew his judgment or keep him awake at night. One particular miss at Kilmarnock three weeks ago sticks in his mind, which he openly addresses during conversation. Hearts’ schedule doesn't allow for much reflection, though. McKay and his Tynecastle team-mates have been playing every three to four days since August as they combat domestic and European fixtures.

“When the manager keeps picking you, then you are obviously doing something right,” said the forward. “If you're getting in the positions, you are still creating chances and doing what you are in the team to do. It was maybe just the moment we were in that these things weren't falling in the right places. The miss against Kilmarnock, these things happen in football. You see it at the top level as well, the misses that can happen. It's about trying to put it to the back of your mind and moving on. We don't get much time between games anyway.”

After a run of only three wins in 15 matches, Hearts head to Turkey following back-to-back victories over RFS and Ross County. Morale has improved as a result. “Yeah, it's all about building confidence,” said McKay. “Two wins do that but performances do that as well. Maybe the performances hadn't really been there before. We had a good performance against Celtic but got nothing from the game, then we had a good game on Thursday. Dingwall is a tough place to go but all that matters is the three points.”

Hearts forward Barrie McKay is hoping for another Scotland call-up.

The aim against Basaksehir is simply to replicate the last couple of team performances before bowing out of the Conference League. “Definitely. We can't qualify but we want to win every game and put in good performances to build momentum going into the rest of the [league] games before the break,” said McKay.

At the back of his mind, there is a lingering hope that this won’t be his only visit to Turkey this month. Scotland play a friendly against the Turkish national team in Diyarbakir two weeks from now, and the diminutive winger ideally wants to retain his place in Steve Clarke’s squad. He was a late call-up alongside Hearts colleague Stephen Kingsley for September’s final Nations League tie against Ukraine in Poland.

“Yeah, it's outwith my control. It's not me who picks the squads,” smiled McKay. “That's up to Steve Clarke. If he picks me, then great. If not, I'll just keep working hard to get myself back in. He could be looking to try something different, or he could keep the same squad and try to build towards what he wants to do. That's outwith my control, though. It's up to him.”

He has one international cap to his name already from his previous call-up back in 2016. “I never really expected it this time. My last call up was six years ago so it's not like I had always been in squads. It had obviously been a long time. To get that call-up was really good on a personal level. You get that confidence from the recognition from the national manager. It shows recognition of what you're doing over the past few months. I've always said since I came up here that I'll never get picked if I'm not doing it for Hearts. It's all about Hearts and then take it from there.”