When his brother turned up at his door on Tuesday night on a high after scoring a double in Scotland’s 3-1 win over Kazakhstan, St Mirren defender Paul McGinn was pleased but in no mood to keep him company.
Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn took his international goal tally to seven in six games as Steve Clarke’s side finished their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a comeback win at Hampden Park.
Scotland failed to qualify through the traditional method but have another chance through the Nations League play-offs where they will play Israel in the semi-final next March.
Buddies full-back McGinn, 29, preparing to face Ross County in the Ladbrokes Premiership on Saturday, revealed his younger brother watched the match again on television while he went to bed.
He said: “My girlfriend works so I had my son and couldn’t get to the game but he came and stayed after the game and he stayed up and watched the highlights, watching back his goals.
“Once he was in I gave him the remote control and I went to bed and that was it, but he’s on fire and I can’t say I am too surprised.
“I could see the excitement when he came through the door. I have been there, I have felt it the other way with a few Scotland results so it was nice that he was a bit more on cloud nine.
“They look as if they have a shape now and it was good to have (Steven) Naismith back, he is a big player for us and fingers crossed he can do well in March.”
McGinn believes that pushing the former St Mirren and Hibernian player further forward was a “stroke of genius” by Clarke.
“I am not surprised,” he said. “I suppose I am a bit biased but I watched him at 18 at Hampden against Celtic and doing really well against all the bigger teams.
“It doesn’t really surprise me. Maybe the move further forward surprised me a wee bit.
“But that was a stroke of genius. He is a clever player but because he is awkward looking and hustle and bustle, everyone thinks he maybe isn’t quite like that.
“But he is very clever so I am not surprised he gets on the end of so much.”
St Mirren are bottom of the table, two points behind St Johnstone, and McGinn warned of further danger ahead
from the Staggies.
He said: “Ross County are always a threat going forward. They are not a team that grinds out results, they do get boys forward. We know all about them. It will be a tough game.”
