John McGinn on 10 years of Scotland service and the worries of an abbreviated World Cup
It was on 29 March 2016 when then Scotland boss Gordon Strachan gave McGinn his full international debut in a 1–0 win over Denmark.
“It was a friendly match against a team that had qualified, but we had nothing to play for,” he recalls. “It may seem like a long time ago, but the growth we’ve experienced as a group of players has been significant.
“It’s incredible how far we’ve come.”
McGinn states that the disparity between expectations in the past and present is significant.
“We are aware that we still have a lot to improve,” he says. “But we are a small country, fighting against bigger countries. We don’t have the same luxuries that they have. But we have grit and determination.
“Was it our best campaign? No, probably not in terms of performances. But we had one objective and that was to finish first in the group and make some history and we managed to do that.”
McGinn believes having an experienced group in the dressing room is helping both Villa and Scotland add strength in depth.
“We not only have me; we also have Robo [Andy Robertson], [Scott] McTominay, and [Ryan] Christie. We have players playing at a high level in important matches. We have had a lot of club captains and that continues.
“Still the same, Lewis Ferguson, Kenny McLean, me. Obviously Andy Robertson is the vice-captain at Liverpool; Grant Hanley [at the previous club Norwich] and Liam Cooper were the captains of Leeds.
“We have a lot of leadership experience throughout the group. So at times we have lacked the special performances we have had in the past. But what we have is leadership, character, and belief.
“And you can’t buy it in stores.”
McGinn now sees this World Cup as “a chance to turn it around” because “in the last few tournaments we haven’t done ourselves justice”.
“I never imagined I would ever play for Scotland,” he admits. “So 10 years ago, I’ll never forget reading my name on that piece of paper. The emotions, the butterflies, the nerves running through my body that day – it was mental.
“And 10 years later, preparing for the World Cup after two major tournaments, it’s surreal to even think about.”
