John McGinn has lifted the lid on how Scotland have swung from bickering to best mates in a bid to end their 24-year World Cup exile.
The Aston Villa star revealed the secret of the squad’s remarkable spirit that was witnessed in the epic comeback win over Israel at the weekend.
Scott McTominay’s 94th-minute winner put Steve Clarke’s side in pole position to finish second in Group F, which can be clinched with wins over the Faroe Islands tomorrow, and Moldova next month.
McGinn and Lyndon Dykes hauled them level twice, and the second 45 minutes was one of the best displays in recent years. McGinn said: “It’s a club feel. It doesn’t come overnight.
“We are all mates. I know it’s easy to say that but it’s very easy to get on everyone’s back.
“I was making mistakes, others were making mistakes, and previously there might have been a bit of negativity and a wee bit of arguing.
“But we’ve all got belief in ourselves. It’s just a great dressing room to be in. It’s sad we only meet up once or twice every few months.
“It’s definitely a big reason for the results we’re getting. We are just hungry to succeed for our country. When you look at it selfishly, you dream of going to a World Cup, and every single player in there wants to do that.”
McGinn revealed harsh words were spoken at half-time with Israel 2-1 up and Scotland lacking aggression and tempo.
He added: “They are always strong words from the gaffer, even if you’re getting praise!
“But he was measured with what he was saying. Some tactics, and he stressed we had to be braver. He told us we had to show our personality on the pitch, and we did that.”
