STEVE Clarke has backed John McGinn to cope with the step up to the Premier League and expressed hope his success at Aston Villa encourages more Scottish players to try their luck in England.
The former Hibs and St Mirren midfielder capped a Man of the Match display at Wembley on Monday by netting the goal which helped Villa win the English play-off final against Derby County.
Clarke, who started out at Love Street before moving to Chelsea, named McGinn in his squad for the Euro 2020 double header against Cyprus and Belgium yesterday.
He is pleased that another Scot will be playing his trade in the top flight down south and expects the 24-year-old to flourish.
“He was excellent yesterday,” he said. “Great performance, winning goal. I hope he did not drink too much champagne because it looked as though there was a lot of champagne flying around the Wembley pitch. It was a good weekend for the McGinn brothers (Paul and Stephen helped the Buddies retain their Premiership status in the play-off on Sunday).
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“You never know where you are going to go unless you push yourself. John made the decision to go to Aston Villa. I know from people I know at Villa they are really pleased with him. And the supporters really love him.
“It tells you he has done the right thing. He has gone down there and pushed his game to another level. Hopefully on the international stage as he gains more experience and caps his game will improve even further.
“It will be another challenge for him but he has met every challenge so far. He was terrific at Hibs, terrific this year at Villa in the Championship. It is another step up but I am sure he is relishing the challenge.”
Meanwhile, John Terry has admitted he wishes Scotland star John McGinn was eligible to play for England after his play-off final heroics.
Chelsea legend Terry is now assistant manager at Villa to Dean Smith and has helped in the development of the player.
And he’s been hugely impressed by Scottish terrier McGinn, who cost the Birmingham club just £2.5 million last August.
Terry said: “I just wish he was English and he was playing at Wembley. That would be good wouldn’t it!
“John is superb. Jack Grealish gets all the headlines, but it’s the work John does. You see him day in day out, he trains how he plays. He’s a great professional and a great lad and there’s just a great spirit amongst the lads. Him and Jack get on really well, both on and off the pitch. You can see it when they’re out playing.
“For sure John is capable of taking his display at Wembley into next season in the Premier League. He’s very capable of doing that. I think, as well, we now get the chance to keep Jack and John and our players.
“For me, nothing compares to playing, no chance. But my coaching job here is great. It’s down to the lads when you’re out there and you’re a small part of that.
“It’s been a fantastic season since we came in. To be where we are just now, it was the target from the outset. Dean Smith has been great, got us really well organised and we’ve got a really good group of players including John of course.”
Terry, 38, hung up his boots last season and moved into coaching with Villa in October when Smith replaced Steve Bruce at Villa Park.
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And he’s delighted to be following in the footsteps of former England team mate and current Rangers manager Steven Gerrard by being a coach.
Terry said: “It’s just great to see young managers - Steven Gerrard at Rangers and of course Frank Lampard at Derby - getting opportunities.
“In the long run my ambition is to become a manager, but I’m not thinking that. I said as a player I got to the heights I wanted to get to and I firmly believe with this I’m a YTS again because I am starting right from the bottom. I’m not afraid to say that, I’m not afraid to do all the dirty work.”
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