WE ARE all allowed to follow a dream no matter where it leads us.
I was interested to note some words from old favourite Charlie Mulgrew when he was discussing the hopes and aspirations of his friend John McGinn on talkSPORT recently.
“I think it’s definitely going to be in his head,” said the bold Charlie talking about the possibility of the longings of the Scotland international to one day perform in the green and white hoops of the champions.
Alas, I reckon this is one fantasy that is destined for the rocks. You could say McGinn’s boat has sailed on this particular topic.
As we are all aware, the midfielder had previously professed his love for the club where his grandfather Jack had been the chairman during Celtic’s glorious centenary year of 1988 when Billy McNeill’s side won the league and Cup double in memorable circumstances.
BEST FOOT FORWARD…John McGinn challenges Callum McGregor for the ball.
That’s the same Celtic McGinn decided to snub in August 2018 to join Aston Villa. The about-turn in thinking created a fair amount of consternation in the east end of Glasgow at the time.
Many supporters thought it emphasised a lack of ambition by the board not to back the desire of manager Brendan Rodgers. Sounds eerily familiar, doesn’t it?
Those fans are welcome to their beliefs, but, on this occasion, they are unsubstantiated. Celtic were more than willing to match and outbid the £2.75million the Midlands club spent on the Glaswegian. Likewise the £25,000-per-week wages.
Accusations flew hither and yon as disgruntled Hoops followers pointed fingers without taking into consideration the sleight of hand by Easter Road chairman Rod Petrie, who sadly passed away in August, who preferred his player to perform in another country as opposed to coming back to bite the hand that once fed him.
The Edinburgh supremo cut Celtic out of the loop when it got down to the nitty gritty. Steve Bruce, then the Villa manager, turned McGinn’s head with promises of building his midfield around him.
Rather obviously, there had been no such outrageous promises from Rodgers, who already had first picks in Scott Brown and Callum McGregor taking up two of the three positions in the team’s engine room.
McGinn chose Villa and it must be said he has given them the best days of his career in the seven years in which he has performed with remarkable and commendable consistency. In his first season, his tenacity and drive guided the team to promotion to the Premier League.
BATTLER…John McGinn in a tangle with the Belarus keeper in Scotland’s 2-1 World Cup qualifying win at Hampden at the weekend.
He has maintained a praiseworthy standard and is quite rightly Unai Emery’s onfield leader with the captain’s armband to prove it.
McGinn will celebrate his 31st birthday on Saturday and is under contract at the Midlands club until June 2027.
“Listen, John McGinn would’ve loved to have gone to Celtic,” insisted Mulgrew, who is highly unlikely to have misread the situation. “I know John personally; his whole family are Celtic fans, but it (the proposed move) just didn’t happen for whatever reason.”
The answer, of course, lies with McGinn.
I doubt if there is any chance of this particular reverie ever manifesting itself into substance.
On this occasion, McGinn may find there are no second chances.
ALEX GORDON
