"I would swap...": Scotland cult hero makes emotional World Cup address after hitting cap milestone
John McGinn is now the third most capped outfield player in Scotland’s history.
Scotland midfielder John McGinn says ending the nation’s 28-year wait to qualify for the World Cup means far more to him than reaching a 100 caps for his country.
The 30-year-old picked up his 81st cap in the 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Belarus on Sunday, and is now level with international teammate Craig Gordon in the country’s all-time appearances list. He also climbs to third in the list of most capped outfield players, behind Kenny Dalglish and Andy Robertson.
Back-to-back wins over Greece and Belarus mean Scotland occupy second place in Group C, level on points with Denmark. Having already secured at least a spot in the World Cup playoffs, they now have a golden opportunity to snatch automatic qualification to next summer’s tournament. However, McGinn admits they must put in an improved performance in November’s final two qualification games, away to Greece and at home Denmark, if they are to do so.
“If you'd said to us at the start of the group you could be going into the last two games knowing two wins would take you to a World Cup, it's an opportunity that you dream about,” said McGinn. “But we're not naïve enough to think this camp was good enough, but it's about us finding that form again, everyone staying fit and healthy for the next camp, and getting over the line.
“It's an unbelievable opportunity for us, but we need to give absolutely everything. You've just got to puff your chest out, go back again next month, and be a lot better on and off the ball. We know it, but when you reflect, it's important not to be too down. You look at the group: 10 points, unbeaten after four games, and probably the best chance we've had in maybe 20 years to qualify for a World Cup.”
Reflecting on his own personal achievement of hitting 81 international caps, the Aston Villa skipper was asked what he stood out as his favourite moment in his Scotland career so far. “Certainly not tonight [vs Belarus],” he joked. “Probably [the Euros playoff win vs] Serbia. Aye, it's mad. I never thought I would get capped once. I pride myself on never pulling out unless I'm physically incapable of playing, so I’ll not retire.
"I'll keep climbing that ladder, but most importantly, getting the caps at a World Cup would be a dream come true. When you're in the thick of it, you don't think of it as much. But the main aim isn't to get 100 caps. Robbo [Andy Robertson] and I would swap them to make a World Cup and achieve what we've all dreamed of. When you look at the group, it's incredibly exciting, and we know we need to improve next month.
“I don't think Denmark will look forward to coming here [in November], the last time we played them here was our best performance as a group. Greece away was a good performance as well. We know in the dressing room that two wins get us there, and that's what we're focusing on."
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