Plenty for Aston Villa man to aim for in 2025
He knew instantly how it was going to be portrayed. “The story was written, the narrative was there,” smiled John McGinn. “I could feel it.”
The midfielder had been the focus of so much of the pre-match hype prior to Aston Villa hosting Celtic in the Champions League in January.
So it was bad enough when a hamstring injury sustained in a game against Leicester City meant he was unable to start the first-ever competitive game between his current and boyhood sides. He had targeted the match for a comeback and although fate meant he got longer than planned on the field when Matty Cash was forced off on the half-hour mark, things quickly began to go awry.
Aston Villa's John McGinn during the Champions League encounter against Celtic. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)Aston Villa's John McGinn during the Champions League encounter against Celtic. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)
Aston Villa's John McGinn during the Champions League encounter against Celtic. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group) | SNS Group
“I was gutted not to start the game, definitely, after working so hard to get back fit,” he said. “I was even more devastated at half-time when the aggregate score since me coming on was 2-0 Celtic…”
Having scored two quick early goals, Villa started creaking. Celtic scored not once but twice before half-time, with Adam Idah grateful for the rusty McGinn’s inadvertent flick into his path for the first. McGinn is so often cast as the Celtic player that got away. He knew this was a delicious turn of events for commentators and journalists alike, who were quick to hail McGinn’s first ‘assist’ for Celtic.
He even wondered if his own family sitting in the McGinn box were secretly – or maybe not so secretly – enjoying his pain. His grandfather, Jack, was of course chairman at Parkhead for a long time. “Some of them were probably celebrating it (the assist) at the time, to be honest, which made the night trickier!” he recalled.
Villa steadied themselves, with McGinn ultimately playing a big part in the 4-2 win as Unai Emery's side sneaked into the last 16 ahead of Atalanta.
“In the end it worked out all right for me,” he added. “But there was a story certainly written at half-time, which was challenging….”
One minute he was telling Scotland teammate Tony Ralston as the substitutes limbered up on the touchline that he wasn’t going to get on, given it looked like Villa didn’t need him. And the next minute he was in the heat of the battle fretting slightly about his hamstring holding up after his warm-up had to be hurriedly aborted. All’s well that ends well.
John McGinn (centre) during a Scotland training session at the City Stadium, Glasgow, on Monday, March 17. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)John McGinn (centre) during a Scotland training session at the City Stadium, Glasgow, on Monday, March 17. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)
John McGinn (centre) during a Scotland training session at the City Stadium, Glasgow, on Monday, March 17. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group
The Scotland talisman can smile about it now as he looks ahead to Thursday’s Nations League play-off clash against Greece.
Villa have since negotiated a last 16 tie against Club Brugge and are looking forward to a glamorous quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain. McGinn is one of just two Scottish players left in the competition, with Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney preparing for mighty Real Madrid.
So much lies tantalisingly within McGinn’s grasp. As well as the Champions League, his side have their eyes on the FA Cup. Preston North End await in the last eight of a competition Villa haven’t won since 1957.
The scenes following Newcastle’s League Cup win on Sunday demonstrated what such triumphs can still mean. Not that McGinn needs such a reminder. “I always love the opportunity to try and do something special,” he said. “I watched the St Mirren fans celebrate a trophy after so long (in 2013). Then similar with the Hibs supporters (in 2016). What that means to people and what it means to the clubs, the cities. It can transform and re-energise a club. You watched Newcastle and you're thinking, ‘imagine that in Birmingham’. It's a really exciting end to the season, club-wise.”
As for Scotland, some landmark achievements beckon, both personally and collectively. The first task is ensuring the country’s continued presence at the top table of the Nations League. Then there’s a World Cup berth to secure later this year.
McGinn can also take some further steps to becoming Scotland’s top all-time goalscorer. Two goals in the last international window have left him on 20 and moved him one ahead of Ally McCoist in the rankings. Lawrie Reilly and Hughie Gallacher are in his sights, with the former on 22 goals and the latter 24. And then it’s next stop Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish, who stand on 30 goals a-piece.
There has been no movement at the top since the mid-1980s so these are potentially historic times just weeks after Law passed away.
McGinn never met the Manchester United legend but given his family’s myriad football connections, has been well-briefed. “My dad told me, grandpa, everyone idolised him,” he said.
Scotland's John McGinn (left) and team-mate during a training session at Lesser Hampden, Glasgow. Picture date: Monday March 17, 2025.Scotland's John McGinn (left) and team-mate during a training session at Lesser Hampden, Glasgow. Picture date: Monday March 17, 2025.
Scotland's John McGinn (left) and team-mate during a training session at Lesser Hampden, Glasgow. Picture date: Monday March 17, 2025. | PA
Can McGinn reach 30? “It’s definitely a motivation to be amongst those names,” he said. “I like to wind Ally McCoist up a wee bit about it when I see him. Obviously, if I had to choose the team winning over me scoring, I would choose the team.
“But I have it in the back of my mind. It's something I think is achievable. Ten more goals to match Kenny Dalglish and Denis Law is something I never thought I would say.”
Qualifying later for the next World Cup would guarantee more games. He’s alert to the fact the stakes are particularly high for some players, him included. Now 30, McGinn, who made his Scotland debut under Gordon Strachan, is learning how quickly veteran status can creep up, particularly when teenagers are sitting next to him at breakfast in the team hotel. James Wilson and Lennon Miller are reminders that life moves on very quickly.
Suddenly ambitions of playing in a World Cup are required to be urgently addressed for the likes of McGinn, Andy Robertson, Grant Hanley and Kenny McLean, who are all in their thirties.
“It might be our last shot,” stressed McGinn. A last shot at glory. Maybe someone might make a film about it.