John McGinn has found his goalscoring boots again after his struggles for Aston Villa.
Unai Emery dropped McGinn for Villa’s defeat to Liverpool before the international break, and in truth, he couldn’t have many complaints.
But his Scotland manager Steve Clarke did the same for their UEFA Nations League clash against Croatia on Friday night, but McGinn came off the bench to score the winner.
On Monday evening, Aston Villa’s all-action midfielder was at it again, but this time, he started his side’s win in Poland and opened the scoring after a few minutes.
That goal has huge significance for a number of reasons, the first being that it helps Scotland keep up their hopes of remaining in the top tier of the UEFA Nations League.
But, on the other hand, it pushes McGinn closer to becoming Scotland’s all-time leading goalscorer.
He is currently fifth on the list with 20 goals and he surpassed Ally McCoist in Poland, with the former Rangers man discussing that matter.
Ally McCoist ‘delighted’ for John McGinn after he scores for Scotland again
What’s even crazier from McGinn’s standpoint is that he isn’t even a striker, yet his name is among some greats of the Scottish game.
McCoist is regarded as one of Scotland’s greatest-ever strikers and he stated that he is ‘delighted’ for the man with the Villa armband, as he told talkSPORT.
Talk did turn to if the Glasgow-born star can become his nation’s top-scorer of all-time, with Kenny Dalglish and Danis Law sitting top of the list, with McCoist sharing his thoughts.
Jeff Stelling jokes: “The man who is now Scotland’s sixth top-scorer of all time, Ally McCoist. Do you regard that as a good day or a bad day that you have dropped down one (in the Scotland goalscoring charts), but your team has won?”
McCoist responded: “No doubt it was a good day. It was just a matter of time. You know something, see the way he is going, well, I am just thinking, I mean two proper legends at the top. Proper. Kenny (Dalglish) and Denis (Law), who incidentally, if we are picking an all-time British XI, just to let everyone know, Kenny and Denis are starting up front with George Best.
“Kenny and Denis are sitting on 30 goals. John, what is he? 20 now. I tell you what, you never know. Oh, it’s a long way (in regards to McGinn not being a striker), but that’s a problem, our strikers don’t score. John McGinn is a brilliant guy and he is a top, top player. Great family. Delighted for him.”
Who is Scotland’s all-time top-scorer?
McGinn has plenty of years in his legs, you sense he can still play until his mid to late 30s and there is every chance he becomes his nation’s top-scorer.
Injuries aside, he is only stopping himself because everything else is there for him to do it.
He is a key player for his country, and for the most part, he is always playing and starting.
Then you need to factor in the number of games that are played on the international level in today’s game, so that is another reason he can surpass Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish’s record.
The legendary duo, as posted by Tranfermarkt, scored 30 goals each during their careers and McGinn is slowly creeping up the table, as he is three behind third-placed Hughie Gallacher.
