McGINNING OF THE END

Kev: John was on way up as I went down at Hibs.. he'll go for years

- ANDY NEWPORT

WHEN Kevin Thomson crossed paths with John McGinn at Easter Road, their careers were heading in opposite directions.

It was 2016 and the former Rangers and Scotland midfield ace had just signed up for a third and final spell at Hibs as his playing career dwindled to a close.

While Thommo was trajecting downwards, the only way was up for McGinn. He would go on to play a starring role in the Leith outfit’s long-awaited Scottish Cup triumph later that year before switching to Aston Villa in 2018.

The 29-year-old is now captain of a team flying high in the Premier League having qualified for the Champions League under Unai Emery.

He’ll be hoping to hit further heights over the next couple of weeks as Steve Clarke’s Scotland aim to soar into the Euro 2024 knockout stages.

And Thomson reckons it will take years yet before his old team-mate starts his descent back to earth.

He said: “When I went back to Hibs in 2016, John was there with Alan Stubbs. He’s a top, top player but back then I didn’t think he’d have gone on to achieve everything he’s achieved.

“That’s just because he was young, raw. Hibs were in the Championship at the time.

“But he then helped Hibs win the Scottish Cup and you then saw that debate about whether he could play for Celtic or Rangers. Since then though, he’s surpassed everybody’s expectations.