WE’LL BE BACK FOR SECONDS
McGinn insists Hibs can live up to Lenny’s target and finish best of the rest on top-flight return
JOHN McGINN insists Hibs can live up to manager Neil Lennon’s expectations by finishing second in the Premiership next season.
The Easter Road side are returning to the top flight after a three-year absence thanks to their Championship title win.
Having won the Scottish Cup last year and reaching the semifinals this year, Lennon challenged his players on TV earlier this month to finish the “best of the rest” in the 2017-18 campaign.
McGinn reckons that target is realistic and believes Hibs can lay down a marker on their return to the Premiership.
The 22-year-old said: “Yes, finishing second is realistic. It’s not going to be easy.
“As expectant as the manager is, we understand there are still good teams up there.
“Aberdeen have been consistently strong over the past two seasons, Rangers will rebuild – a club that size always will – and so will Hearts who got rid of a few boys this week. They will recruit well but so will we.
“We already have a good nucleus of players who know what it takes to get results.
“The manager has raised his expectation levels but we are confident we can go and do it.
“Our gaffer isn’t your average punter. He wants the best out of us. He was very hard on us throughout the year.
“At times he got really frustrated with us but he knows what we can do and that’s why we are so confident we can put down a real marker next season.
“There’s a few of us who haven’t played in the top flight but also a fair few that have. It’s a really exciting division. Celtic are the benchmark at the minute because they have been fantastic.
“Next year is a different season and we will be hoping to get as close to them as we can.”
Scotland midfielder McGinn had cause to celebrate as he lifted another award at Hampden yesterday.
The PFA Scotland Championship Player of the Year added the Ladbrokes Player of the Season trophy to his collection.
McGinn admits a couple of his Hibs team-mates could also have been in the running for the prize.
And while he’s glad to call himself a Premiership player once again, he believes his stint in the Championship was the best thing to happen to him.
The Scotland star, who has been called up for the crucial World Cup qualifier with England, said: “I’m delighted with the award.
“It’s good to get personal recognition and after achieving what we’ve attempted to achieve over the past three seasons, it’s good to top it off.
“My team-mates have been brilliant all season and they don’t get the credit they deserve.
“A few of them are as worthy, if not more so, of getting the award.
“Getting back to the top tier has been a long time coming.
“I won’t mope about playing in the Championship because it has been brilliant for me.
“There are a lot of good players in the Championship and I don’t think there is a lot of difference between the league and the lower end of the Premiership.
“We have got to prove now that we can compete up there.”
“The way I’ve done things through my career, I’ve never taken too big a jump for myself. You see a lot of players in Scotland jump straight into the Championship or Premier League.
“It’s sometimes a bit of a struggle. I was speaking to some of my friends about young players being at big clubs and not breaking through so to go to League