FORMER Hibs star John McGinn has revealed that he very nearly joined Hearts.
The Scotland international has lifted the lid on a phone call from Robbie Neilson who asked him if he'd like to join the Tynecastle club.
The Aston Villa captain was on the radar of several teams in 2015 after St Mirren's relegation from the Premiership.
He opted to join Hibs after a Alan Stubbs snapped him up, however, there were several options available to him, including Dundee United.
Hearts were among the interested parties. How things could have been different for the Hibs Scottish Cup legend.
McGinn told the Currie Club podcast: “I had left St Mirren after we got relegated.
"It was a terrible season, both for me and the club and I decided I needed a fresh start.
“Nobody was willing to pay the transfer fee at that moment.
"Hibs were in the Championship and I wasn’t too keen to drop down, but my ego got a wee slap a couple of times when nobody was willing to pay it.
"Hearts had contacted me. Robbie Neilson phoned me when I was in Santa Ponsa and asked: ‘Do you want to come to Hearts?’ I said yes, and I never heard from him again!"
"Dundee United had spoken to my agent and I thought I was going there but they signed Rodney Sneijder instead.
"I went to Houston in America but it fell through due to red tape.
“St Mirren were then willing to do a cut-price deal which worked for everyone and thankfully the gaffer [Stubbs] phoned me one day when I was at Kilbowie Roundabout!
"I was nervous because I’d never been at another club. I drove through to Edinburgh with my mum and dad."
McGinn went on to lift the lid on the party stories from Hibs' famous Scottish triumph against Rangers in 2016.
He admitted the whole squad was "absolutley blitzed" for the open-top bus tour the following day.
He added: “The party was unrivalled. My apartment was an absolute dive. I was in a student block in Edinburgh – I was grossly underpaid at Hibs!
"I had the worst apartment in the team but it was a great location, a party location.
"The nightclub shut but we were still high as kites, so it was everybody back to mine.
"The next thing was that we had to go on the open top bus without sleeping a wink and with everyone absolutely blitzed.
"I don’t regret one bit of it. All my family were there, my friends, all the players’ families and friends, in this wee two-bedroom flat at the bottom of the Royal Mile.
“We were still in our suits the next morning – stinking – and we actually walked it to Easter Road.
"Abbeyhill to Easter Road is not far but it took us more than an hour.
"It was like something from Little Britain, walking down with a roll and sausage and a can. We’ll never experience anything like it."
