I’m glad to be 5,000 miles away from speculation
HIBS midfielder John McGinn admits Scotland’s trip to Peru and Mexico has offered welcome relief from constant speculation over a summer transfer.
English Premier League Brighton retain a £3million interest in the Easter Road midfielder.
And Celtic messageboards buzzed with wide-of-the-mark claims the Parkhead club had offered Hibs £2.5m plus Scott Allan to secure his signature earlier this week.
Savouring the distraction offered by what will be his eighth Scotland cap against Mexico, the 23-year-old admits he is pleased to be 5,000 miles away from Scotland as conjecture over his future rages.
‘I am glad to be on the other side of the world, if I am honest. It’s been great.
‘I am aware of what’s going on and what’s being said. I wake up each morning to different speculation each day.
‘But that’s something I cannot control.
‘Being over here with Scotland has allowed me to focus on training and the matches and it’s been a big help.
‘The speculation is there but when I wake up over here it’s died down again so that helps. It’s good to get away from it.
‘I’ve had a holiday and coming here has really taken my mind off everything else that’s being said about me.
‘I still have a year to go at Hibs and I love it there. It will need to take something really special to come along.’
Hibs manager Neil Lennon has already placed a £5m valuation on his star midfielder.
With McGinn now entering the final 12 months of his contract, however, the Edinburgh outfit could be tempted to sell for less this summer to avoid the former St Mirren player signing a pre-contract agreement with any interested club in January.
‘The speculation is going to come,’ admitted McGinn. ‘I just have to deal with it because it is all part of football.
‘The speculation is there because I have been playing well. As a team we have been different class and I don’t take my position for granted.
‘But you must be doing something right when you see your name linked with all these clubs.
‘Like I say, I can’t control that, I need to stay focused on my football.’
Scotland assistant Peter Grant has encouraged a makeshift squad of players to embrace the shop window offered by games against Peru and Mexico, more technical football nations heading for the World Cup finals in Russia.
If a shot-shy 2-0 loss in Lima’s National Stadium is unlikely to have scouts beating a path to the door, the educational value of the experience was undeniable.
A Scots side featuring seven new faces by time up failed to land a shot on target, but showed enough discipline and organisation to make themselves difficult to beat.
‘It was a good experience to play against Peru in an atmosphere like that,’ added McGinn.
‘It goes without saying we would have liked a more positive result to take out of the game but it was always going to be tough.
‘There was a real party atmosphere and it was Peru’s last send-off before they head to the World Cup. We wanted to have more of an impact on the game but it was difficult.
‘Beforehand, people were saying we could lose really heavily because of the inexperience in our squad.
‘With the amount of call-offs we’ve had and the amount of boys making their debuts, it was always going to be tough — we were always up against it.’
Defeat became inevitable as soon as debutant goalkeeper Jordan Archer gifted Peru a penalty kick with a rush of blood to the head before half-time. He then conceded a soft second two minutes into the second half.
‘We lost two cheap goals and I suppose looking back that is the most frustrating thing,’ said McGinn.
‘I wish they had cut us open rather than losing two goals the way we did.
‘But it’s a massive learning curve for us all and it was still a great experience.’
The Peru game marked the first time three Hibs players had started a Scotland international since Tommy Younger, Lawrie Reilly and Gordon Smith appeared in a 1-1 draw with England at Hampden in 1956.
Hibs players featured against the USA in a 1-1 draw at Hampden in 2005 but Gary Caldwell and Scott Brown were substitutes.
‘It was great to see boys like Dylan (McGeouch) and Lewis (Stevenson) get their first caps and it was amazing to be out there with them,’ McGinn admitted
‘It was a special moment and I will always remember the match against Peru — I’m sure the boys are all the same.
‘We all wanted a different result, you are professional so you want to win every game you play.
‘But it was something different coming up against South American opposition and we will learn from it.
‘It’s massive for the guys who won their first cap and they will kick on from here, I am sure.
‘I don’t take this kind of thing for granted. I just want to win as many caps as I can.
‘I know I still have a lot to learn but I do feel more at home in the Scotland team now.’
Hibs team-mate Stevenson returned home for a pre-arranged family holiday after Peru. McGinn, due to face Mexico in altitude and soaring temperatures before 90,000 fans in the early hours of Sunday, hopes to play some part.
‘I want to play against Mexico but it will be up to the manager,’ he added. ‘It would be an amazing opportunity to play in a stadium like the Azteca.’