McPake spent the first half of the season on loan at Morton in the second tier of Scottish football and played under Hopkin.
Hopkin left Morton in December and the young Rangers starlet also moved on from the club to join Harrogate Town on loan in the winter transfer window.
But the brief spell that McPake had under him at Morton left an impression on the current Ayr United manager.
Hopkin stressed that a number of young players want to be professional footballers, but many of them do not understand the grind needed to make it to the top level.
But he insisted that McPake gets that and understands that making it in the game is not just about what he does on the pitch.
Hopkin told The Athletic: “A lot of youngsters like the idea of being a footballer, but it’s hard.
“It’s hard getting there and it’s hard staying there.
“It’s a lifestyle, not a hobby, and Josh has taken that on board.
“He seemed to have that, ‘I want to be a footballer’ attitude.”
The winger has featured 16 times for Harrogate in League Two since he joined the club in January.
