John McGinn’s Non-Start Against Croatia Fueled “Outstanding” Performance, Brother Says

Stephen McGinn, brother of Scotland’s John McGinn, stated that John channeled his disappointment from not being in the starting lineup against Croatia into delivering an “outstanding” performance in Poland. The Aston Villa captain, who had recently recovered from an injury last month, was listed as a substitute for the Nations League match held on Friday at Hampden. Entering the game from the bench, the influential midfielder scored a late winning goal, and subsequently netted the opening goal in the remarkable win in Warsaw. With these goals, McGinn’s total for Scotland reached 20, placing him among the top five all-time scorers for the men’s national team. During an appearance on the BBC’s Scottish Football Podcast, his brother Stephen commented: “One of the biggest things that happens to John when he gets a setback is he comes back stronger than ever. “I know how disappointed he was not to be starting on Friday night. In football, you don’t have any given right to start a game, but it can just light a fire up. “I think it was his best performance in Poland. I thought he was outstanding. That’s the pressure that comes with being super John McGinn, it’s nice to see that back.””