Championship award joy for ex-Buddie John

Former St Mirren midfielder John McGinn was beaming with pride after being crowned Ladbrokes Player of the Year for the Championship.

The Scotland internationalist was in terrific form over the course of the campaign, in what was his second season with Hibernian.

St Mirren retain an interest in the youngest of the McGinn brothers, with Saints set to pocket 33 per cent of any future sale of the player.

McGinn 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 teammates 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.

“Big Darren McGregor has been terrific and Jason Cummings has scored over 20 goals again.

“They’ve been different class and thanks go to them for helping me win this.”

McGinn will be back in the top flight next season following Hibernian’s promotion last season.

And he admits that he can’t wait to return to the level that he used to turn out in for the Buddies.

He added: “Getting back to the Premiership been a long time coming. It has been the best thing that’s happened to me.

“I won’t mope about playing in the Championship because it has been brilliant for me.

“It doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

“There are a lot of good players in the Championship and I don’t think there is a lot of difference between the Championship and the lower end of the Premiership.”

I won’t mope about playing in the Championship because it has been brilliant for me John McGinn