He captained his country to two significant victories, earned his 50th cap and became Scotland’s joint-eighth highest ever goalscorer. It has been a memorable international break for John McGinn - and there is still scope for his fortnight to get even better.
The Aston Villa midfielder is the darling of the Tartan Army, and his crucial strike against Ukraine typified his endeavours in a dark blue jersey. McGinn found the bottom corner with unerring ease, but only after using his trademark physicality to dispossess a perplexed Valeriy Bondar.
The 27-year-old has amassed 14 goals for his country, and currently sits just five behind Ally McCoist on the all-time list. McGinn has gradually nudged forward as his international career has progressed - and he is more comfortable and impactful in advanced areas.
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In the early stages of his international career, McGinn was often utilised in a deeper midfield position, but his erraticness in possession soon became troublesome. He is a carefree performer, a risk-taker at his best when acting impulsively, and a restrictive and disciplined role isn’t entirely compatible with his attributes.
Most central midfielders are content to keep the ball ticking over and maintaining a high pass-completion rate, but McGinn is rarely interested in the safe option. He is also comfortable receiving possession with his back to goal, and not many players utilise their backside to outmanoeuvre and pin opponents quite like him.
McGinn starts as a No.10 for Scotland, yet he performs a more traditional midfield role for Aston Villa. With Steven Gerrard’s dependency on his full-backs to provide attacking thrust, the central midfielders are preoccupied with shuttling across the width of the pitch, plugging gaps and being watchful.
The new Villa captain has not scored for his club since Gerrard’s second game in charge at Crystal Palace last November. His attacking instincts have been curtailed under the former Rangers boss, but nevertheless, his form in claret and blue has rarely flickered above mediocre in the last 12 months.
The armband is likely to ensure McGinn remains a starter for Villa regardless of his output, and Gerrard is a big proponent of his skillset. It remains clear, though, that McGinn, consumed with defensive responsibilities, struggles to influence or dictate matters from the engine room.
Gerrard lured Joe Aribo to Rangers in the summer of 2019, hoping the silky Nigerian would bring creativity to a functional midfield. After a largely ineffective start to his career in Govan, Gerrard moved Aribo into a wide forward area - allowing him to perform with greater freedom. Aribo responded positively to the positional change, and his current manager, Ralph Hasenhuttl, signed him to play a similarly advanced role in the best league in the world.
McGinn would also benefit from a Gerrard rethink, but the dressing-room prankster is unlikely to be selected in a more forward-thinking role when the manager has Philippe Coutinho and Emiliano Buendía at his disposal. There is also a quality gap between most international fixtures and the Premier League, and it remains unclear whether McGinn is capable of replicating his Scotland performances in a Villa shirt.
McGinn is in the early stages of his fifth season at the Midlands club, an age in modern football, and he would perhaps benefit from a change in scene. With the armband on his sleeve, it is unlikely Villa would contemplate his departure - and an obvious destination is not clear anyway.
Although McGinn struggled in the June international matches, he continues to perform with enthusiasm for his country. His club form is a concern - and there appears to be no obvious solution - but his immediate priority is on attempting to lead Scotland to promotion from their Nations League group.
