Hearts line up fresh bid to lure winger McGinn

HEARTS are ready to offer Niall McGinn a January return to Scotland after the winger’s career stalled in South Korea.

McGinn ended a five-year association with Aberdeen at the end of last season when he signed for K-League club Gwangju under freedom of contract but has struggled to adapt to life on a new continent.

Northern Irishman McGinn played 222 times and scored 67 goals during his spell at Pittodrie but has been reduced to the role of non-playing substitute at a team rooted to the bottom of the league.

There have been consequences for the 30-yearold’s international career as he failed to make the cut for the 23-man pool that was stripped for Thursday’s World Cup qualifier between Northern Ireland and Switzerland at Windsor Park.

McGinn has travelled to Basle for tonight’s decisive second leg. Should Michael O’Neill’s side succeed in overturning a 1-0 deficit, he will require a regular diet of first-team football to guarantee a place in Russia next summer.

The former Celtic man was the subject of a pre-contract offer from Hearts last season, with Craig Levein endorsing then head coach Ian Cathro’s attempts to recruit the pacy forward in his role as director of football.

McGinn turned down both Hearts’ three-year pitch and a counter offer from Aberdeen in order to try something different but would now be willing to return to Scotland.