SEMI-FINAL COUNTDOWN
well. I actually sent him a text after the game because I had heard about his performance.
“We still speak regularly and we all know his family background, he is a huge Celtic fan.
“There wouldn’t have been a prouder person than his granddad and parents that day.
“John would have been over the moon, mixed emotions and all, but when you play against big teams you need to put in big performances and that wouldn’t have done him any harm.
“To go and play under that pressure and to perform the way he did will have been good for him.
“When you have ability you always see the measure of the player when they perform well in the big games.
“Whenever there is an emphasis on performance, John would always be one of the players who would take the game to the opposition.
“If we were sometimes having a lull in the game it would be the time he would pick up the ball and drive forward. He has that in him, to drive the team forward. We were always trying to improve him and decision-making was a big one – when to do something and when not to do it.
“Goals was another area where we wanted him to improve and he seems to be getting there slowly but surely.
“He started the season the way everybody would have expected him to do but he now needs to maintain that.”
Stubbs is adamant that any new manager coming into the Scotland set-up could do worse than make McGinn a regular starter.
The 46-year-old said: “There are good players playing for the national team but John being John, and knowing him the way I do, he would be disappointed no matter who is in front of him. He believes in his ability. “He believes when he goes on to that pitch he can perform and do himself justice. I think a few people were surprised he didn’t play in the last game against Slovenia but his time will come. It is just a case of when. “Whoever the new Scotland manager is, I’m sure John will be at the forefront of his selection process.” Meanwhile Stubbs, who guided Hibs to Scottish Cup glory against Rangers at Hampden in 2016 believes Neil Lennon’s men have what it takes to shatter Celtic’s invincible domestic record at Hampden in Saturday’s Betfred Cup semi-final.
He said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if Hibs won in the semi-final.
“They’ll take confidence from the performance – if not the result – at Parkhead recently.
“The result was great but it was a reward for the performance.
“Last season at the National Stadium against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final Hibs didn’t start well and gave themselves a mountain to climb. They nearly did it but this time they have to make sure they start the game well.
“Darren McGregor is a big loss, he is one the team have missed, but I can see Hibs getting a result.
“However, we’ve seen Celtic get to a level which is just enough to win games but in the big games they raise it again – that’s a sign of a good team.
“I’m sure come Saturday, when the whistle goes, Brendan Rodgers will have them ready to go.”