Billy Mckay facing uncertain future with Dundee United

Billy Mckay is not sure whether he is coming or going. But this could be good news for Dundee United since it means he is even more likely to treat each game as his last, starting tomorrow against Hibs in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden.

Billy Mckay's Dundee United loan deal is up at the end of the season. Picture: Steve Welsh

Mckay’s loan deal from Wigan Athletic with United expires at the end of this season. His parent club are set to go up – Gary Caldwell’s Wigan are top of League One, with five games left – while the one he joined on loan in August are in danger of being relegated.

There seems little chance he will remain at United. But where he is bound next, not even he can say. The striker has still scored nine times in a trying season for United, and he does not regret the move back to Scotland.

He has made sure he continues to be part of Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill’s plans for the European Championship finals this summer, although whether he makes the final squad is something he again has no control over. All he can do is aim to shine tomorrow, when there is a good chance O’Neill, who played for both United and Hibs, will be watching. “I’ve not had a chance to think about the future,” Mckay said. “I’m only here on loan and I’m due to be going back south in the summer.

“It looks as if Wigan will be getting promoted so I honestly haven’t got a clue what I will be doing next year.

“I can’t predict anything and I have to just put all my energy into helping Dundee United at the minute.

“I can’t make any plans – the whole summer is up in the air. I don’t know where I will be next season, I don’t know if I will make the Euro 2016 squad. I have to try and stop thinking about things that aren’t certain. Instead I have to focus on things that I can control such as this semi-final.”

What he is desperate not to miss out on is a Scottish Cup winners’ medal. He left Inverness in January last year and so was playing with Wigan when Inverness secured the cup just over four months later, with a win over Falkirk.

“I wouldn’t change anything, I’d still leave them when I did,” he said. “They are a great bunch of lads and I’ve still got friends up there.

“I was delighted when they did win it and now I have a massive chance to go on and win the cup. If we win on Saturday we’re 90 minutes away from lifting the cup.”