Hibs’ fans assumed that John McGinn’s omission from the squad last night meant that he was poised to sign for Celtic however that is not the case.
Celtic upped their initial bid to £1.75m but Hibs are not prepared to sell him for that amount.
Although McGinn whose grandfather Jack was Celtic Chairman would he happy to move to Parkhead, Hibs believe that interest from England with a significant wage increase could sway his decision.
Had McGinn played in last night’s victory over NSI Runavik then he would have been ‘cup tied’ for any future Celtic games in the Europa League this season however Neil Lennon insisted that was not a consideration.
After the game, Lennon explained the reasons behind his team selection.
He said: “His (John McGinn’s) thigh was heavily strapped yesterday. I know that there will be a lot of conspiracy theories flying about which is fine but I am in command of this.
“I had a chat with John and it puffed up a bit last night and he slept on it.
“He wasn’t 100% and is not 100% mentally either. If John is to go I need to look at what else I have got.
“But if he is fit to play next week, which he should be by Sunday or Monday, he will start.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
