McGinn can make jersey his own at Parkhead
SAYS EFE AMBROSE
EFE AMBROSE has no doubt his Hibs team-mate John McGinn possesses enough natural ability to make the step up to be a fine Celtic player.
But as the Nigeria international knows from his own experiences at Parkhead, if the Scotland midfielder does move along the M8 this summer he will find himself surrounded by equally talented players all ferociously hungry to succeed.
In the glare of the Old Firm spotlight, McGinn, 23, would no longer be the big fish in a smaller pond like he is now at Easter Road.
Instead he would be vying for a coveted midfield starting jersey with established Celtic regulars like Scott Brown, Olivier Ntcham and Callum McGregor.
Yet, thankfully, Ambrose also detects in McGinn the steel and battling qualities required to make a success of any potential move, should Celtic return with a more palatable offer than the initial £1.5million bid that was swiftly rejected on Monday.
‘I am not surprised to see Celtic come in for a player of John McGinn’s quality. I think he can make the step up to play there,’ said Ambrose, who won four Scottish titles, one Scottish Cup and one League Cup at Celtic between 2012 and 2017.
‘He definitely has the quality and the ability to succeed. But if he does get there, he will also need to fight for his place because it’s not easy at a club like Celtic.
‘There are quality players all around you and they all want to play.
‘Celtic is a place that comes with huge responsibility and the fans there are special. But if John does go there he can succeed — and we would all wish him well.’
Ambrose believes it reflects well on the fine season Hibs had under Neil Lennon that Celtic are looking to land one of their key performers.
But the defender has faith in Lennon and his scouting system, and feels the team can cope with McGinn’s potential departure while remaining capable of targeting silverware and being in the upper echelons of the Premiership.
Liam Henderson, a Scottish Cup winner with the club in 2016, has been spotted training at Hibs’ East Mains base but is not on the Northern Irishman’s radar. It’s understood Lennon allowed the former Celtic midfielder to use the facilities to keep his fitness up before heading back to his current club Bari in Italy next week.
‘It’s a big compliment to Hibs that Celtic are looking here for players,’ added Ambrose.
‘When you are doing well, people look at you. And John did so well for this club. He has helped put us in the position we are in today.
‘But we have other good players and the gaffer and his scouting team are working their hardest to find others.
‘With the finances available here, we are not as big a club as some others. But with Neil Lennon coming in, the fans have got right behind the team and it does feel like a really big club.
‘The history behind Hibs is great. It’s just like Celtic. That’s why I am here. I want to challenge for trophies and finish in the top four. This is a place where I feel I can improve and achieve and keep playing at the top level.’
Ambrose was speaking after Hibs beat Berwick Rangers 6-0 in a pre-season friendly at Shielfield Park on Wednesday night.
Next up is Paul Hanlon’s testimonial against Blackburn Rovers at Easter Road on Sunday.
Then it is the Europa League qualifiers against NSI Runavik, with the first leg in Edinburgh next Thursday.
A two-legged tie against opposition from the Faroe Islands is a world away from Ambrose’s European experiences with Celtic when, under Lennon, they beat Lionel Messi’s Barcelona en route to the Champions League knock-outs.
That adventure in 2012-13 gives the 29-year-old hope that Hibs can be the first non-Old Firm team since Jimmy Calderwood’s Aberdeen in 2007-08 to reach the Europa League group stages.
‘This is a very important time of the season because our goal is to try and get into the group stages,’ said Ambrose. ‘We know the test that lies ahead of us but we will be prepared mentally and physically and hopefully we can get it right.
‘I believe in this squad and in this coaching staff, too, and how they prepare us. So I believe that we can make the group stages. In football, you can never say never.
‘I played in the Celtic team that beat Barcelona and did very well in the Champions League. Anything is possible under the manager.
‘He always says that because he believes in his qualities and in what he has at this club. He is very experienced and he knows the European game.
‘Playing a team from the Faroe Islands will be very different. But every journey must start somewhere. ‘You have to treat every game with importance, especially the first game in Europe. Every effort we put into last season has got us to this first step in the Europa League so we need to start on the front foot. ‘We have all been working so hard in training for the first game and we will be ready for it. We will fight to the end to make sure we achieve our goal of reaching the group stages.’