McGINN NO RUSH TO MOVE
SAYS SCOTTISH FOOTBALL'S MOST-WANTED JOHN McGINN
JOHN McGINN admits he’s been claiming Europa League sanctuary in a bid to silence the background noise of a move to Celtic.
But after an astonishing night in Greece which will go down in Hibs folklore, the midfielder accepts his European adventure with the Leith men could be over.
The subplot to Thursday’s 4-3 aggregate win over Asteras Tripolis has been the talk of the 23-year-old’s seemingly imminent departure.
As the Edinburgh club secured a third round qualifying spot against Norwegian’s Molde with a nerve-shredding, backs-to-the -wall display in a 1-1 draw, McGinn insists it was just a tonic to be in the heat of the battle and away from all the transfer talk.
He said: “It’s a great place to get away from things and coming away to Greece has been amazing and I’ve loved it, it is basically getting away from all the talk.
“You try and ignore it but sometimes it’s impossible. It’s been good to get a couple of results over the last couple of weeks and I’ve loved it. “The speculation surrounding Celtic was really hard initially but when you’re on the park, you forget. I’m the kind of guy who always gives 100 per cent. “I’m grateful for what this club has done for me and I love playing for Hibs and I never take that for granted.
“I had a few discussions with the manager Neil Lennon and he was great, he has been in this position himself.
“It’s tough, I’ve never hidden from the fact there will be a time that I move on but it will have to be the right time in and the right moment.
“It’s nice to know you’re doing something right but at the same time I need to be respectful to Hibs. I’m their player and I’m under contract here and as long as I’m a Hibs player I will give 100 per cent.”
McGinn may have upped his own valuation after netting the decisive goal as well as turning in a mature performance which could force Celtic to think again about how much they’re willing to pay with a £2million bid
I’m grateful for what this club’s done for me and I love playing for Hibs JOHN McGINN
already been kicked into touch by the Easter Road chiefs.
With the closure of the English transfer window on Tuesday, bids from south of the border are likely, the lifelong Hoops fan revealed he’s been seeking counsel from Lennon as how best to cope with the constant questions over his proposed switch to Parkhead.
He said: “It’s good to have someone who is feeling the exact same as you, you’re walking along the street and everyone is asking you. It’s no bother for the first few times but then it starts getting annoying.
“You just want to focus on your football and keep getting better and let things happen.
“He’s a good guy to bounce things off and he said he was in this position when he was at Leicester and he wished he dealt with it a bit differently. I’ve taken that advice on board and I need to keep improving. That’s what’s got me in this position and I want to carry that on.
“Even the boys at training just make light of it and after one or two jokes they just carry on as if nothing has happened.”
The magnitude of this Hibs success should be measured against the undoubted quality of an Asteras side with genuine Europa League pedigree.
And McGinn believes this career highlight is remarkable given the stretched resources with which it was achieved.
He said: “This result is up there with anything I’ve been involved in. In terms of squad size we haven’t finished yet and the manager is working to bring players in.
“That’s made the job even tougher. When we won in Brondby a few years ago we had
a strong squad and we knew we were capable of doing something.
“We have created history in Greece, it’s the first time we have reached this stage in Europe for a very long time.
“As long as we have the backing of the supporters and the belief in ourselves I don’t know why we can’t get past Molde.
“But against Asteras we had a depleted squad, so to come to a difficult venue and manage to get through is some achievement. It’s a positive for Scottish football and hopefully we can carry it on.
“Celtic, Rangers are ourselves are through while Aberdeen gave a terrific account of themselves against Burnley so it’s been an encouraging week for our game.”
It was a case of all hands to the pumps as Hibs went into panic stations mode against Asteras after the Greek’s levelled despite being reduced to 10 men but McGinn insists getting the job done was always going to be the bottom line.
He said: “Playing away from home in Europe is never easy. I saw Celtic against Rosenborg on Wednesday night and they didn’t play particularly well but the only thing that matters is they are in the next round.
“Make no mistake, they are a good side and that’s the best they’ve played over the two legs.
“They were excellent in the second half and made it so tough for us and we needed to dig deep.”
After landing in Edinburgh last night, Hibs face a Premiership curtain-raiser tomorrow against Motherwell and McGinn admits it’s a match which hasn’t been much in their thoughts.
He said: “It’s strange trying not to be disrespectful to Motherwell but our full focus has been on the Europa League and getting into the next round. They’ll be fresher but it’s our home game and we’ll try to take the game to them.”