John McGinn: Scott Brown talked me through my Scotland debut, now I hope I can take his place

As much as McGinn accepts that he is "disappointed" that Brown is no longer part of the Scotland squad at Mar Hall this week, he accepts he now has a prime opportunity to inherit his place in the team.

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With two midfielders, Crystal Palace's James McArthur and Kevin McDonald of Fulham, withdrawing from the squad this week, McGinn's chances of making his competitive bow for his country against Malta this Sunday are alluring. That would be quite a promotion for a 21-year-old who still plies his trade in Scotland's second tier.

“Scott always looked after me in the squad - I’m a Hibee after all!" said McGinn. "He made sure I was under his wing. He spoke to me before the Denmark match, told me to go and do my own thing then talked to me throughout the match which helped to settle me in quickly and I’ll be forever grateful to him for that. It was brilliant to play alongside him in his 50th cap and it’s disappointing for all of us that he’s not here.

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"It was a surprise to me that he retired from Scotland," the player added. "We've seen already this season just how good he can be and I’m sure for many years to come he’ll still be playing for Celtic. It’s disappointing I can’t be playing alongside him but it gives people like me a chance and other boys to step in and hopefully take his position. I hope that can be me eventually but that’s for the manager and staff to decide. If it was the case then I’d be delighted. He was a massive influence on me early on in my international career and if I can have half as good a Scotland career as Scott Brown then I’ll be absolutely delighted."

McGinn is predominantly left-footed and Brown right-sided but that apart there is a similarity in these two men's game styles which made their personal battles, mainly back in McGinn's St Mirren days, particularly eye-catching. While both are technically under-rated, what they lack in refinement they make up for in drive and leadership qualities.

“I don’t know if there are similarities between us," said McGinn. "He tried to get in my head a bit when we went up against each other but I was prepared for it and I already knew he was a nice guy off the pitch because I’d met him at a charity night.

“I want to use his inspiration to get better," the midfielder added. "Off the pitch he treated everyone the same and on the pitch he gave his all. He would be the first to admit that he wasn’t the best technically in the squad but nobody worked harder and I need to adopt that sort of attitude. I always enjoyed playing against him and you knew what you were getting - it was always going to be a tough battle."

It isn't just Brown's example which is helping McGinn. While it is strange to find such an accomplished player outwith the top flight, one of the fringe benefits is the 21-year-old having specialist midfield help at both club and international level from managers Neil Lennon and Gordon Strachan.

“It's beneficial for me that Neil Lennon and Gordon Strachan were both midfielders, and that they were together for a long time," said McGinn. "It means there are similarities in the training for club and country. I’m learning new wee things every day and trying to make myself a better player.

“Neil Lennon is really calm behind closed doors and he takes me to the side from time to time," he added. "He’s not slow in highlighting your weaknesses but he’s very keen for you to improve. I’m the first to admit I’ve got a lot of flaws in my game and still young enough to erase them. There’s two or three weaknesses I’ve ironed out and hopefully I can keep doing that. It doesn’t bother me that I’m playing in the Championship. The manager and his staff believe in me and that I’m good enough to be in the squad which gives me massive confidence."

McGinn's freshness and positivity is a corrective to the air of pessimism about Scotland's hopes of reaching Russia in the summer of 2018. Having been at Hampden frequently as a fan, due to his family connections, before making it as a player, he knows all about the need to make a quick start. “It’s a clean slate and another chance to get off to a good start," he said, ahead of Sunday's meeting with a Malta side who lost 1-0 home and away to Italy in the previous campaign. "It’s not an easy start but we’re really positive going into the campaign. We just need to focus on getting a win in Malta to start us off and hopefully that will stand us in good stead."