When Mark Warburton first opted to sign Barrie McKay from Scottish Premier League outfit Rangers it looked like a solid piece of risk-free business for just £500,000.

Indeed, McKay couldn’t have announced his arrival to the City Ground faithful any better by netting crucial goals during the club’s first two Championship home games against Millwall and Middlesbrough.

Mark Warburton, the manager who delved into his SPL book of contacts to sign the tricky winger during the summer, used McKay sparingly towards the end of his tenure at the club and that represented something of a shock.

With Warburton’s time at the club now firmly consigned to the record books, the Scotsman needs to work even harder if he is to force his way into boss Aitor Karanka’s first-team plans for the future.

McKay hasn’t featured in the first-team since a 3-0 reverse against Preston North End at the City Ground on 30^th January and although that is cause for concern for the player, it doesn’t mean that his City Ground is over just yet.

On Saturday at Sheffield United, Forest lined up for the first half in an unfamiliar 4-4-2 and that alone indicates that McKay could still have a future in the East Midlands.

Kieran Dowell was tasked with playing on the left-hand side of the midfield on Saturday and in total honesty he was pretty ineffective. Hardly surprising considering that he is bang out of form in his own position, never mind one that he hasn’t featured in too often at all.

If Karanka is going to persist on mixing the style of play up from time to time then McKay might be a player worth keeping around the club next season, especially considering his form for Rangers operating in a 4-4-2.

If he can continue to work hard in training and come back all guns blazing for pre-season then there is nothing to say that the 23-year-old can’t force his way into Karanka’s thinking.

Forest have seen glimpses of McKay’s talents during his time with the club but the ball is now firmly in the player’s court as far as his time with the Reds is concerned.

Nottingham Forest fans, what do you make of Barrie McKay? Is his career at the City Ground over? Let us know in the comments below!!!