Dundee winger Niall McGinn says it would be the height of stupidity to put a time limit on Steven Davis’ Northern Ireland career.
Davis may be 37 and in the autumn of his career but the veteran midfielder enjoyed a strong end to the season with Rangers and signed a new one-year contract with the Ibrox club yesterday.
Davis and McGinn, who is 34, are two of the elder statesmen in Ian Baraclough’s squad for this month’s quadruple header in the Nations League.
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But the former Aberdeen star is confident the likes of Davis, who has amassed 134 caps for his country, still has a lot to offer in green.
“It’s something that always bugs me when people put an age on players,” said McGinn.
“If they are good enough to play, they’re good enough. That’s the reality and Davo has been playing at a high level with Rangers.
“There’s a few more years left in him and he’s still running around like a spring chicken. We are delighted to still have him here and hopefully he will be with us for a long time yet.
“Davo finished the season very strongly at Rangers and he probably views this camp as a chance to build on his fitness and go again for next season.”
McGinn also believes there’s more to come from Kilmarnock striker Kyle Lafferty who earned a recall to the national set-up after sitting out recent squads.
Lafferty, 34, scored eight goals in 14 league goals to help Killie earn promotion to the Scottish Premiership after rejoining the club for a second spell in January.
“Kyle’s a goal scorer and he always has been,” McGinn said. “He’s come back to Kilmarnock, hit the ground running and helped them get back in the Premiership.
“With Kyle, he’s not lacking in confidence and with Josh (Magennis) out injured and a couple of others missing it’s an opportunity for him to come in and impress.
“You definitely hear him before you see him, that’s for sure, but he’s a great guy to have about the place and he always has a laugh and a joke at the right time.”
Lafferty’s 20 international goals puts him second only to David Healy on Northern Ireland’s all-time list, but he was last on target for his country in 2016.
“He just wants to get that next international goal that he’s been craving for a long time and hopefully with these games coming up he gets that opportunity,” said McGinn.
“He finished the season strongly, scoring goals, and we’re delighted to have him back.”
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