THE Tartan Army famously sing that they’d walk a million miles for one of Scotland’s goals. According to John McGinn, the players are ready to do the same to take the nation to the World Cup. Well, fly a million miles, at any rate.
The hectic schedule of top-level players is nothing new, with the less time off you have in the summer a sign of the success you are having on the field. So, you won’t hear the likes of McGinn moaning about the fact he is set to get just over a fortnight of rest at the end of a long, hard, gruelling season for club and country.
Scotland may well have five fixtures to navigate in all during June with Nations League games also to be played, but the Aston Villa man would do anything to get Scotland through the World Cup play-offs, and he is more than ready to sacrifice a summer holiday if it means that the nation are back at the biggest party in football come the winter.
“I haven’t planned anything,” McGinn said. “Paul [his brother, who plays for Hibernian] is getting married this summer just before the Ukraine game.
“Most players will have a holiday planned but football comes first if you want to achieve things and be successful.
“If Robbo (Andy Robertson) gets to the Champions League final, he might as well book Butlins for an afternoon because he won’t get any time off.
“But I’m not complaining. We’re enjoying the best moments of our international careers right now so why not play five games?
“There’s a case for saying: ‘When do you get rest’? But there’s time afterwards for rest.
“When I was at Hibs and involved with Scotland I only got two weeks off. So I’m fortunate this summer to get roughly three.
“If we manage to do the business and get to Qatar the boys won’t be moaning about any amount of games.
“We’d fly anywhere in the world to achieve that.”
This Scotland team have already given the Scotland fans their pride back, taking the nation to a major tournament for the first time in over two decades in last summer’s European Championships.
Due to Covid restrictions at the time, crowds were restricted at matches, meaning that McGinn and his teammates were left with a tantalising taste of what could actually occur should Scotland make the World Cup.
“We’re a country that likes to hate each other at times,” he said.
“But for 10 days during the Euros there was a real feeling of togetherness and it was great to be part of it. Everyone was wearing a Scotland shirt. We’re not used to that.
“I was only four when Scotland were last at a Euros so it’s not something I can remember or relate to. But that has given us a taste of being at a major tournament.
“I think we probably got the watered down version because of Covid so we’re desperate to get to a proper one.
“Growing up, Scotland in a World Cup was alien to me. So if we get there, we’d achieve something that my generation has never seen before. And hopefully we can inspire the children who enjoyed the Euros so much.
“We’ve still got regrets from that tournament so we want to get Qatar. If we do that, those regrets will go away.”
As it is, you get the feeling those regrets are still near the surface.
“When I think back to the Croatia game at the Euros we had chances to go 2-1 up - I had one myself,” McGinn said.
“But overall, we just fell short in terms of quality. (Luka) Modric turned the game on its head.
“But after that, there was a feeling that we had to go again. We couldn’t just fall short and let everything slip. We felt we had to go and get the World Cup play-off spot.
“There have been a few disappointments along the way. But the level of belief within the squad is the best I’ve ever experienced.
“The Denmark game wasn’t the most important fixture in the group. But there was a real belief flowing through the whole stadium that we’re a proper team now.
“And hopefully we can go and back that up in June.”
McGinn is certainly backing up his previous performances in a Scotland jersey, being named this week as the Scottish Football Writers’ Association International Player of the Year for the third year in succession.
“It feels amazing, this year probably more than others,” he said. “The success of the national team means it could have been anyone this year.
“Craig Gordon, Lyndon Dykes, Billy Gilmour, Kieran Tierney, just to name a few, could all have won it. Lots of the boys would have deserved it as much as me.
“But I’m obviously really proud to get it for the third year in a row. I must be doing something right.
“I’m proud to be a part of Scotland’s resurgence and hopefully we can go one step further and get to the World Cup.”
