John McGinn will earn his 50th cap for Scotland at Hampden on Saturday and has his eyes on reaching the magical 100 before he hangs up his boots.
But even if he joins Kenny Dalglish in that most exclusive of clubs, the Aston Villa midfielder insists nothing will beat the 13 minutes he spent on the international stage with his big brother Paul. McGinn visibly swells with pride as he recalls that night in September last year in Vienna, Scotland leading Austria 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier, when Paul came off the bench to replace Stephen O’Donnell in the 77th minute.
And as he prepares to hit the half century, the man who will wear the armband against the Republic of Ireland, is adamant nothing will beat that moment. He said: “I have one clear memory and it’s the Austria game away when Paul came on. No matter how many caps I will be able to get, no matter how many goals I score, playing for your country with your brother is something that is unrivalled.
