John McGlynn Aston Villa link helps Falkirk secure loan signing as boss previews Livingston trip.
Falkirk manager John McGlynn has revealed that Aston Villa loan signing Ben Broggio came his attention after a personal recommendation from Scotland hero John McGinn.
The ex-St Mirren and Hibs star, who is Unai Emery’s captain down south, highlighted Broggio’s availability to his big brother Stephen - who is part of the Bairns’ backroom team. And McGlynn and his staff swiftly had a look at the 19-year-old attacker, who is a part of the first team set-up at Premier League high-fliers Villa.
A move was made to bring Broggio to the Scottish Premiership for the remainder of the season and the England youth cap is set to make his debut against Livingston.
John McGinn sold loan move
Speaking ahead of the trip to the West Lothian bottom club, McGlynn said: “Ben came recommended from John McGinn. He said to Stephen there was a lad you should take a look at. We did and he looked at right good football player in the games we watched. He’s one who definitely needs to get out of under-21 football. He needs to be playing first team football. He’s coasting through games at that level. He will be involved in some capacity at Livingston. You can see the ability, the awareness, the touch. You can just tell good players.”
He added: “It came up in the last few days. Stephen says that John has only ever given him three other players. Obviously he doesn’t give him players willy-nilly. He obviously wouldn’t just recommend a player if he didn’t think he was a right good player - with the right attitude. That inside information which takes you in behind the scenes, that due diligence, can help out in these situations. It’s an understatement to say the McGinns are a great football family. It’s nice that Stephen has lots of contacts.”
Broggio and his new team-mates head to Livingston hoping to finally get a win against the Lions - who are unbeaten against the Bairns over the past couple of campaigns. Falkirk nearly got a victory on home turf the last time both sides met but Danny Wilson’s grabbed a last-gasp leveller for Livingston.
It won’t be David Martindale leading the Lions however with the ex-boss now taking on a sporting director role upstairs at the Home of the Set Fare Arena. His No 2, Marvin Bartley, is now in the dugout. He previously went up against McGlynn’s Bairns as Queen of the South gaffer in the third tier.
Focus not on Livingston change
“It’s really just about us, concentrating on us and not really getting involved with the changes that have happened there,” McGlynn said ahead of Wednesday’s match. Marvin has been there all the time there anyway. So will there be a lot of changes? I don’t know, so that’s why it’s important we just concentrate on ourselves instead of getting caught up in Livingston. I think that’s in the past. We tried to win in every game and we haven’t. We’ve got to go and win this game and that’s what we’re planning to do. We’ve got a sense of the top six and we need to win the next game, no matter who it is. We’re in a good place. There will be twists and turns with ourselves and the teams round about us. We are still within striking distance of Hibs, the team above us. We want to be looking there. Win at Livingston and it could be very interesting.”
Proving a squad update, boss McGlynn revealed some bad news with attacking duo Gary Oliver and Ross MacIver suffering set-backs. Man United loanee Ethan Williams is also out.
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McGlynn said: “I hope we won’t pick up too many more injuries. Gary Oliver has been coming back and not far away from being involved. He did his back and was in absolute agony, left here in a wheelchair. There is no timescale on that. Ross MacIver is getting aggravation on the ankle he’s had an operation on. We’re having to back off.
“Ethan Williams has a grade two thigh strain so he’s out the equation as well. Tom Lang is out at Arbroath, that’s great for him to go and get games.”
The boss also confirmed that crocked Ben Parkinson has had an operation at Ross Hall and is still expected to be out for the foreseeable future. The likelihood is he will be looking to make a comeback next season.
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