Hearts star's career resurrection from shattered Rangers dream to Hampden turns inspiring next generation tale
Having once appeared to be drifting away from the path predicted for him, Josh McPake has rebuilt his career through determination, patience and renewed belief in his ability
Josh McPake's journey from a frustrated Rangers youngster struggling to fulfil his potential to a Hearts first-team regular flourishing in the Premiership and earning international recognition is a story Craig Levein believes should offer hope to every young footballer who encounters an early career setback.
The 25-year-old winger’s inclusion in the Scotland set-up under new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli represents a significant milestone in a career which threatened to lose its way after a series of loan spells and an uncertain period at Ibrox.
Once regarded as one of Rangers' most promising young prospects, McPake found himself unable to make the breakthrough expected of him, with temporary moves to Dundee, Greenock Morton, Harrogate Town, Morecambe, Tranmere Rovers and Queen’s Park failing to provide the platform he needed to establish himself.
But a fresh start at St Johnstone, followed by his move to Hearts, has helped transform his fortunes, with Levein playing an integral role in providing him with the platform to rebuild his confidence at McDiarmid Park while gaffer in Perth.
The former Hearts manager admits he initially had reservations about how far McPake could progress in the game when he watched him in action for Stirling Albion two years ago, but insists his raw ability was never in doubt.
“It's a really interesting story. I say this to everybody: when you look at an international team and you look at the players, they've all got different stories about how they got to that point,” Levein said before pointing to Andy Robertson as another example of a player whose route to stardom was far from straightforward. “Just look at Andy when he was at Celtic. He gets freed, he goes to Queen's Park, then moves to Dundee United and then on to Hull City.”
McPake's own journey has followed a similarly unconventional path. “He was round about the fringes of the first team at Rangers as a youngster,” Levein recalled. “Then he went down south on loan, then went on another loan. I think there were six loans in total. He was at a point where, I wouldn't say he chucked it, but his improvement wasn't going up the way.”
Levein remembers watching McPake in action at Forthbank before offering him a full-contract with St Johnstone. At that stage, he recognised a player whose confidence had taken a significant hit. The technical ability, physical attributes and pace were all there, but the player appeared unable to translate those qualities into consistent performances.
“I watched a guy who had lost a bit of belief in himself, but he had a lot of strengths that, because of where he was up here mentally, he wasn't really been able to perform to that level. His touch was excellent. No disrespect to Stirling Albion, but you're watching a guy there who on that front is streaks ahead, but also he's got good pace, he's strong. The problem was up here [mentally].”
The most pleasing aspect of McPake's rapid development for Levein in recent years has been the change in his mindset. The playmaker has gradually rediscovered the confidence to express himself, with his performances under Belgian head coach Wouter Vrancken at Hearts demonstrating the potential which once made him such an exciting prospect in the first place.
Levein believes McPake's international recognition should not necessarily be viewed as the culmination of his journey, but rather another opportunity to showcase how much further he can progress.
“I'm honestly thrilled that he's got himself into a place where I think now in his headspace, he's in a very positive frame of mind. Once players start to flourish and improve, you don't know whether they're going to stop.
“If you'd said to me that I’d standing at a Stirling Albion game watching Josh, that he would go on to become a Hearts player, a Scotland international, in three years' time, I'd have said ‘I'm not sure about that’. So all credit to him.”
Levein believes the disappointment of failing to make a senior breakthrough at Rangers may have affected McPake's belief in his own ability, particularly after being identified as a potential star for the future at Ibrox.
“He probably felt that he's not been valued. Part of that would be because he's in a headspace up here that he's not freed himself and allowed him just to go and play, which he's been doing at Hearts for the last year or so.”
Young players can find themselves written off prematurely, particularly when early expectations are not met. But Levein insists a difficult beginning does not have to dictate the rest of a career.
“Like Andy Robertson, it's actually a really good message for young players who hit the brick wall early on in their career. These guys just kept going.”