McGinn hails ‘priceless’ experience of Americas trip

JOHN McGinn insists the chance to play for Scotland in the Americas is “priceless”.

The 23-year-old Hibernian midfielder is in Lima for the post-season challenge match against Peru on May 29 before the Scots travel to play Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on June 2, with Alex McLeish’s side providing final warm-up games for two sides going to the World Cup in Russia.

The Scotland boss named a makeshift and inexperienced squad which was weakened with a further six players withdrawing, but McGinn stressed the i mportance of international duty even at the end of a hard season as he looks to add to his seven caps.

“Every time I get the opportunity to play for Scotland, it’s a massive honour, something I’ve dreamed about doing since I was young,” he said.

“So every chance I get to pull on the jersey, no matter where it is, I’ll always be there if I’m fit.”

“Obviously, at the end of the season, you’ve got bumps and bruises and boys will have reasons for pulling out.

“But, on a personal level, it’ll be the first time I’ll hopefully have played in South America, which is priceless.

“The same with going to Mexico, playing at altitude – I’ve never done it before and it can only help us improve and playing against two teams going to the World Cup can only help us get to that level, which is what everyone in the country wants.”

The former St Mirren player is widely believed to have a better chance of establishing himself as a Scotland regular following the recent retirement of Celtic skipper Scott Brown, to whom he has often been compared in recent seasons.

McGinn said: “I think he’s a different player to myself – we both have a hunger to win, a desire to get about the pitch and help our team-mates and that’s something I think we’re similar in.

“I’ve got different qualities to what he can bring and hopefully I can show that.

“Scott was different class with me when I initially joined the Scotland set-up.

“Obviously I was extremely nervous, very anxious to join in, but he took me under his wing a bit and said ‘you deserve to be here, go and express yourself, don’t try to be anyone you’re not, you’re a unique style and just do that’ and that’s what I’ve managed to do.”