"No, no. I'm certainly not undroppable." John McGinn said that on the BBC, and it set the tone for a feature that leans on his own view of where he stands with Scotland. He will be on 92 caps after Saturday night, sits third on Scotland's all-time appearance list and is fifth in the scoring chart, one behind Lawrie Reilly.

McGinn's view on selection

McGinn's point is straightforward enough. He says nobody in the Scotland squad is guaranteed a start, including himself, and that he had no issue when Steve Clarke put him on the bench before.

That sits alongside the criticism around his recent influence. McGinn said praise and scrutiny swing quickly when you are not producing assists or making the right pass at the right moment, and he added that at his age, and with the demands of Scotland and Aston Villa, criticism is part of it.

What still drives him is the first night of his international career. McGinn said the pride and emotion of his 2016 debut against Denmark still stays with him, because when you are picked for your country, you do not know when it might be the last time.

The Scotland debate around him

The BBC feature also leaves room for the harder question, which is whether his influence has been quieter lately. McGinn's own answer does not go there directly. He accepts the noise, but his case is that competition should always decide selection, whether that comes from players in their 20s or their 30s.

That view matters because his standing is not that of a squad player hanging on. He is already third on Scotland's all-time appearance list, and the next cap count in the article is 92 after Saturday night. Andy Robertson is also set for his 100th cap this weekend, so Scotland have two senior milestones in the same camp.

McGinn's challenge now is less about defending his place in public and more about keeping his level where Scotland need it. The cap count moves again after Saturday night, and Robertson's century arrives over the same weekend.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →