Swansea City winger Barrie McKay has revealed the thinking behind his decision to head out on loan to Fleetwood Town during the transfer window.
The deal went through two hours before the 11pm deadline on deadline day last Friday, as the 25-year-old decided to head back up north for the rest of the season.
The Scotland international has made just four appearances in the Championship this season as he has found himself cut out of Steve Cooper's immediate first-team plans, and McKay was forced to depart The Liberty Stadium temporarily for minutes on the pitch.
Speaking to The Fleetwood Weekly News, McKay said: "Joey got in touch with the club a few weeks ago and it died down a little bit, with games coming thick and fast. They had other things to worry about.
"On the last day of the window they rang up again and the rest is history.
"I spoke to (assistant manager) Clint Hill as well, who I played with (at Rangers).
"The fact that they were so keen to have me here was a big factor.
"Clint was messaging me to say that they’d love to have me here. It was the same when I spoke to the gaffer.
"Just the fact that you’re wanted somewhere is probably the nicest thing.
"You want to go somewhere that you’re wanted and you feel appreciated.
"That was definitely a big factor in me coming here and the opportunity to play football.
"It’s lovely here. The training facilities are really good and they have everything you need.
"The gaffer just wanted to get me here and get that smile on my face again towards football.
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"I just want to go out there and show the fans and the coaching staff what I can do.
"When you’re not playing and you’re not involved it can be quite a lonely place. It’s not the best place to be.
"Ask any player – you want to be right in and about it.
"You work every day of every week for that end goal, and that is to play football."
The 25-year-old signed for Swansea in 2018 and became a big part of their senior squad under Graham Potter before his departure for Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer, with replacement Cooper not feeling as if McKay was part of his plans.
The winger progressed through the ranks at Rangers and made it into their senior squad following loan spells with Greenock Morton and Raith Rovers.
In 2017, he then made the decision to switch to Nottingham Forest in the Championship where he enjoyed a positive season which caught the attention of Swansea.
The Verdict
McKay would have had a tough decision to make in a limited amount of time when it came to joining Fleetwood on loan, but he could be better off for making the decision.
It was obvious that he wasn't going to force his way into the Swansea squad during the second half of the season, and he will now be hoping to reignite his career under Joey Barton.