JOHN McGINN insisted his £170 million winner for Aston Villa which clinched promotion to the English Premier League justified his decision to move down south and not wait for Celtic to make their move.
The Scotland midfielder was the Man of the Match in Villa's 2-1 win over Derby County at Wembley yesterday and netted the goal that would end up winning the Birmingham club promotion to the mega-riches of England's top flight.
It capped a dream weekend for the McGinn family after brothers Stephen and Paul - who were both at Wembley yesterday - helped St Mirren stay in the Scottish Premiership after another play-off victory.
The 24-year-old took the decision last summer to quit Hibs to move to the English Championship after Celtic hesitated to make their move.
And McGinn stressed the move couldn't have worked out better.
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He said: "I am in absolute dreamland. I remember when I was training with St Mirren as a young boy Ralston was my Hampden and my Wembley.
"I’ve not managed to score at Hampden yet, but to score the winner at Wembley in the play-off finals is beyond my wildest dreams. Hopefully I can challenge myself and establish myself as a Premier League player for Aston Villa.
"It’s just a dream to be honest. I had the option of going to a couple of Premier League clubs last summer, but they could not guarantee me games. So I took a risk and came to Villa, which is a bigger club that the others anyway. Villa guaranteed me game time and my decision is justified and we will be in the Premier League next season.
"Sometimes in football you have to take risks. You have to challenge yourself. I think people maybe had a perception of me that I was just a hard working player, just a runner. Don’t get me wrong, I think I am that but I’ve got a lot more to my game than that. It took coming down to England to challenge myself against stronger, faster players to show I can offer a lot more. Hopefully I can become a big player for Scotland too.
"To score that goal was just surreal. I think I wanted it more than the goalkeeper. Full credit to the referee. I think in Scotland and in the Championship the referee would have bottled it and given a free kick. But I didn’t foul him and when the ball went into the net it was the greatest feeling ever. I don’t know how I will ever recreate this feeling."
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And the former Saints player is now heading off for a stag party for his brother's Stephen wedding after a tremendous weekend for the McGinn clan.
He stated: "I was probably more nervous watching the St Mirren v Dundee United play-off final than I was playing at Wembley. The St Mirren game was brain damage but they got the job done and deservedly so.
"It’s been a tough season for St Mirren, but Paul and Stephen have been different class. I went straight up to see them after the game today so we could all celebrate. My mum Mary is an emotional wreck. It could have gone both ways for the family but it’s went everyone’s way this weekend.
"I’ve seen a lot of people criticising St Mirren going over the top in their celebrations yesterday. But it was justified. When you are expected to be relegated for so long it was a release.
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"What people forget it people’s livelihoods were at stake. People would lose their jobs. There’s a lot at stake at St Mirren and that makes it probably a more important win than ours today. But as a family we are just delighted.
"I’m not telling you where we are going for the stag party, but it was tough to fit it with with Stephen and Paul’s having play-off games as well.
‘It’s going to be the best week of our lives. We’ve all won our play-off games and I’m going to be so proud watching him get married."
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