McGinn’s star on the rise with a Hibs side starting to believe
McGinn has soared to a new level and Scotland call-up looms, says Lennon
IN town primarily to run the rule over a revitalised Anthony Stokes, Roy Keane, the Republic of Ireland assistant, had considerable food for thought on his return journey to the Emerald Isle yesterday.
Stokes may not have scored in Hibernian’s Scottish Cup win over Hearts, but there were sufficient f l ashes of quality f r om t he Dubliner to merit his compatriot taking another close look at him before he and Martin O’Neill finalise their squad for Euro 2016.
But if the errant Celtic striker was very much Keane’s business at Easter Road, there are no prizes for guessing where his main source of pleasure stemmed from.
At the tender age of 21, John McGinn picked a derby replay, played out in front of a capacity crowd, to deliver arguably his best performance in a Hibernian shirt.
Days after Scotland coach Stuart McCall talked up the possibility of the former St Mirren youngster soon graduating to full international recognition, McGinn might well have had Keane pondering the idea of unearthing some Irish roots. He needn’t waste his time.
Already capped at Under- 19 and Under-21 level by Scotland, McGinn’s i ncreasingly l i kely A- squad call-up is a poke in the eye for the theory that too many of our young players cannot maintain the pace in the professional game.
For Danny Lennon, the man who handed McGinn his debut in St Mirren’s League Cup-winning season of 2012-13, a sense of pride at the player’s recent displays has been tinged with relief that the trauma of being part of the Saints side that was relegated last year has had no lasting effect.
‘John has really matured recently and is now fulfilling the potential we all saw in him,’ Lennon said. ‘For such a young player, he’s really grabbing games by the scruff of the neck. He’s been a revelation this season.
‘He was a fantastic boy to work with — very level-headed. Like a lot of young boys when they get that wee breakthrough, they maybe don’t continue to work as hard as they did and I think, the season I left St Mirren, his form had dipped slightly.
‘That sometimes happens when you see these young players reaching the summit. They’ve worked their socks off for 10 years to get that first-team debut and it all comes at once for them.
‘John was very fortunate — he had a League Cup winners’ medal at the age of 18. So he got a lot early on — a debut at 17, Under-21 caps — and they can sometimes take their foot off the gas.
‘I’m delighted he has kicked on again now and that he is still playing in Scotland, too, at this minute in time.’
In a nation that seems to specialise in unfulfilled potential, the sight of a homegrown player illuminating a pulsating tie with skill and verve was a welcome one for all but those of a Hearts persuasion.
‘I remember before I brought him into the first team, I used to sit in the stand watching the reserve fixtures,’ Lennon recalled. ‘He would do things I’d not even seen. Honestly, the amount of times he did that to me.
‘To see that now being put into practice in huge games is fantastic.
‘The last time I contacted him was after the League Cup semifinal with St Johnstone, just to tell him how well he was doing.
‘When I was at Alloa, Hibs beat us 1-0 at our place and he was outstanding that day, too.
‘He looks a lot fitter now. John is one of these guys who you always think is about to run out of steam as he can look tired in the first 20 minutes of a game.
‘But he’ll look exactly like that in the 95th minute, yet still comes out with these wee bursts. He’s a wonderful talent.
‘He ticks every box — strength, power, speed, vision, an eye for goal, two good feet and he can pass. He does everything for the team.’
Keane won’t have been the only high-profile figure to have noted McGinn’s many attributes.
Already beyond the 100-game mark, the player’s ability, experience and upward trajectory make him an obvious target for cash-rich English clubs from here on in.
A big-money move is surely not so much a matter of ‘if ’ as ‘when’. Lennon, himself a former Hibs player, knows that will not be a popular view with the fanbase but the caveat in his argument is the exhilarating football McGinn currently finds himself immersed in is, in itself, worth a King’s ransom.
‘John’s still learning his trade,’ Lennon stated. ‘It’s the best Hibs team that I’ve seen since I moved into coaching and management, which is a great credit to Alan Stubbs, his staff and the players they’ve got there.
‘When John plays, the whole team seems to play. He’s just one of those players who can produce something out of nothing.
‘I believe he’s got the capability to go all the way. The way he’s going, his profile is only going to increase. Hopefully Hibs can get back into the top league, which would give him a better platform to try to further his career.
‘There’s no doubt he’ll already be on the radar of a lot of clubs down south. We’ve got to be honest in Scotland — when we do have good quality youngsters coming through, very rarely do they stay here in the long-term.
‘It wouldn’t surprise me if one or two bigger clubs came in for him. Hibs won’t thank me for saying that, but it’s just the nature of it.
‘It’s his consistent performances that are giving him this platform, real top quality every week.
‘He’s had a lot of experience for one so young. I think, regardless of where he goes, he’ll be wanting to play first-team football. He’ll make any decision based on that.’