He’ll always be the wee guy from Clydebank, or at least that’s how John McGinn will always view himself.
Aston Villa captain, Scottish Football Writers’ Association International Player of the Year for a fourth straight year, Hibs legend, proud St Mirren youth graduate and a nightmare to play against.
There are plenty differing, but equally complimentary, opinions of McGinn but the humble midfielder still clings onto memories of his upbringing and grounding in the game whether it be on the pitches in ‘Feegie Park’ in Paisley or the priceless experience of meeting hero Thomas Gravesen after waiting hours outside Celtic Park.
"Yes, I was out there! I remember. He was amazing,” McGinn beamed recalling his encounter with the then Celtic midfielder.
"Everyone's perception of Tommy Gravesen was he was this big joker and he was making jokes and all that but anyone who used to wait outside and just want two minutes of his time, he was first class.
"It's something I have carried through with me from St Mirren, Hibs and then here.
"I might not get everyone but I try my best.”
It's little wonder then that McGinn himself is more than happy to delay a quick getaway from matches for club or country in order to meet supporters not dissimilar to his younger self. He’d rather that than risk a slap in the face from his family if he was to get above his station.
"It's probably my weakness at times, I am far too approachable,” he admitted.
"I just want to help everybody. There have been times this year when I have just been drained.
"It's good having my fiancée [Sara] down here, she was the same. She is cut from the same cloth.
"She thought, 'Oh everyone thinks I am just going to sponge off John, I'm coming down here for a holiday'.
"So she decided no, stuff that, did three years at uni and she is now a social worker here every day. I think it is just the way we've been brought up.
"When you are brought up in Clydebank or Paisley I don't think you are allowed to change whether that is my mates or my brothers, they are the same, my sisters and mum and dad. It is mainly my mum and dad.
"Don't get me wrong, there have been times this season when it has got tough and those people have waited at the fence for hours and hours.
"Ninety-five percent of the time I am the first one there because I remember Graveson outside Celtic Park spending an hour and 45 minutes after every game. I will never ever forget that.
"As a kid just that one moment can last me forever so I remember my mum saying to me at the time, 'If you ever do well in football remember Tommy Graveson'.
"I always try my best, even if you're getting stick just keep the head down and sign the programmes that people want.
"It's certainly my mum and dad's grounding that they just try and help people as much as they can and thankfully I have still got those qualities.
"The minute I strayed away from that I got a slap in the face, definitely."
While McGinn is now enjoying the fruits of his labours at a young age turning out for Villa, only this year he faced his toughest test as a professional which left the ever-positive McGinn shaken in his undeniable self-belief.
Having been named club captain at Villa Park, McGinn came under severe pressure with questions raised over his suitability as a player at the club, never mind a leader.
In an honest admission of his long-gone struggles, McGinn explained: “At the start of the season and a couple of months in was the most I’ve ever been questioned in my career.
“A lot of people doubted whether I could play at this level. Could I be Aston Villa captain?
“The only thing better in football than winning is proving people wrong.
“You have that in the back of your head. You put the wee guy from Clydebank mode on and show them that they are wrong.
“It wasn’t easy. I’d be lying if I never said that there wasn’t a wee tinge [of doubt].
“I’d say 98 per cent of me was saying ‘they’re wrong, they’re wrong, they’re wrong.’
“And the other two per cent was saying ‘I’m finished here’. That does linger.
“Proving people wrong does drive you on.
“You can’t get away from it if the noise is that much. You can’t be completely ignorant to it and oblivious.
“I wasn’t. Thankfully now, my form’s improved and I’ve managed to silence some of those critics.
“But it will always be there especially when you are at a club like Aston Villa. The minute you’re not performing the critics will be there.
“I’m probably better off from having that experience earlier on in the season.”
McGinn is an obvious poster boy for Scotland given his performances on – and perhaps more importantly – off the pitch.
And he’s hopeful his turbulent journey to success can provide inspiration to youngsters desperate to make it in the game.
“I remember I took a break for six months,” said McGinn of a period at St Mirren. “I wasn’t getting a game. A lot of young players now are obsessed about playing with professional teams at pro youth but that’s not the be all an end all.
“The amount of players in the Aston Villa team and in the national team in Scotland who didn’t come through those set ups and had to battle through adversity, and went to play for boys club or at a non-league English team, and then ended up coming through, it’s mental.
“It’s good to go back and watch the games at that level because you never know it might be someone playing at Feegie Park [Ferguslie] on a Saturday morning game that ends up being Scotland no 9 or no 11, it’s not just the Celtic 14 year old wonder kid.
“It doesn’t always work like that so it has been good to come through the journey I’ve come through. It’s not going to be the journey that everyone goes on but it would be good to be a role model for some and remind them that it hasn’t always gone perfect for me, it hasn’t always been plain sailing, and that’s the case even to this day.
"I have had some amazing times in football but there are times I have had suffer and come through that and become stronger.”
On his fourth straight SFWA International Player of the Year gong, McGinn said: “I’m going to be getting accused of corruption soon! No it’s brilliant and it obviously feels as nice as it did the first time. Probably even more special the more successful we have been because it could have been a number of players.
“It’s an extreme privilege to play for Scotland every single time you get the opportunity.
“One appearance was enough, so to get this award four years in a row is surreal. Sometimes you pinch yourself at the thought of it.”
