Stubbs’ protege given a ringing endorsement

ALAN STUBBS was sitting in his car late on Wednesday night when the silence was broken by the sound of his mobile phone ringing. After watching Celtic’s Champions League tie against AEK Athens at Parkhead, he was yet to head for home as he glanced down to see the name ‘John McGinn’ pop up on his screen. For Stubbs, it said a lot about the 23-year-old midfielder that, at the end of a hectic day which saw him join Aston Villa for £2.7million, he still found time to call the man who signed him for Hibs in 2015. ‘It is a great move for him,’ said Stubbs, now in charge at another of McGinn’s former clubs, St Mirren. ‘I was at Celtic Park and didn’t leave the ground until late, so I was still in the car park when I took a call from John. ‘He thanked me for everything I’d done for him, which was very nice, but I told him: “Don’t thank me — thank yourself because you’re the one who has done this”. ‘But that sums him up as a person and I’m delighted for him. I wish him all the best and believe that, at that price, he’s the snip of this transfer window.’ McGinn moved from St Mirren to Easter Road three years ago, helping Hibs win promotion to the Premiership as well as ending their 114-year Scottish Cup drought. And his Villa move has a knock-on effect on Stubbs’ own side, who will receive £825,000 courtesy of a 30-per-cent sell-on fee. The Saints boss bolstered his squad yesterday by signing Danish striker Nicolai BrockMadsen from Birmingham City on a deal until January. ‘I would hope we can use some of the money to strengthen the squad,’ said Stubbs. ‘As to how much I’ll get, I don’t know yet. ‘There will still be time for loan deals now the English window has closed, but there will be a lot of other clubs looking to do that as well. You need to get in early.’ After their opening-day win against Dundee, Saints head to Ibrox on Sunday where Stubbs will be reunited with his old rival Steven Gerrard from their Everton-Liverpool days ‘There were times when he single-handedly drove Liverpool over the line,’ recalled Stubbs. ‘I was sick of the sight of him! ‘In terms of a midfield player, he was better than anything I ever played against. But it’s not about me and him on Sunday.’