Tuesday, March 19, 2024
SportHibsKevin Thomson hails return of Hibs' 'driving force' John McGinn to squad...

Kevin Thomson hails return of Hibs’ ‘driving force’ John McGinn to squad good enough for Premiership top-six

FOLLOW US ON  TWITTER | FACEBOOK

KEVIN Thomson is delighted to see John McGinn restored to fitness – because he is the ‘driving force’ at Hibs.

The 22-year-old was ruled out for seven weeks because of an ankle operation and was sorely missed by the Easter Road side during his spell on the sidelines.

But the Scotland cap made a scoring return on his comeback as a substitute against Dundee United almost a fortnight ago and was again a late replacement in Saturday’s win over Dumbarton.

Thomson saw McGinn’s development up close as a team-mate last season and was also a colleague of McGinn’s brothers Stephen and Paul at Dundee.

And he is certain that John is going to become a star if he continues on the right track.

He said: “He’s a driving force and he’s going to be a right top player. He’s still a work in progress, though.

“He’s a young boy but he’s got all the attributes to be a top player.

“He’s got a big bum, he’s got big legs, he is powerful, but he is really grounded too. He’s a lovely boy from a nice family.

“All the McGinns are nice. I played with Paul and Stephen up at Dundee too and they are a good football family with a lovely mum and dad.

“He’s a good lad and he is well respected.”

FORCE

Thomson is convinced Hibs have a squad that would not look out of place in the top-six in the Premiership, but only when they hit top form.

Neil Lennon’s men enjoy a six-point advantage at the top of the Championship after an impressive display in defeating nearest rivals United 3-0 earlier this month.

But they struggled at times to beat Dumbarton 1-0 at the weekend and were held to draws against Morton and Raith Rovers last month.

Thomson added: “I think they have a squad right now that could quite comfortably fit in the top-six of the Premiership.

“When they are at it they are a force to be reckoned with.

“But when they are not at it and they huff and puff a bit they can look average.

“But if they can sustain the way they played against United then I think they will be blowing teams away this season.”

Related Stories