It’s been years since the John McGinn transfer saga took place, but the story still looms large in Celtic football discussions. It was during Brendan Rodgers’ first run as manager of the club and the Scottish midfielder was at Hibernian at the time. The Hoops wanted to sign him but didn’t show enough urgency to complete a deal. Aston Villa eventually signed him and the rest is history.

McGinn has developed into a fantastic midfielder at Premier League level, and it is believed that that failed transfer saga was one of the reasons that ultimately led to Rodgers’ departure from Celtic.

It’s no secret that McGinn grew up supporting Celtic, and it’s believed he advised Viljami Sinisalo to move to Glasgow when the opportunity arose this summer.

As reported by Daily Record, Sinisalo said:

“Absolutely. I’ve talked to Ginny a lot about moving to Scotland.

“Of course it helps that I’ve lived there before. I’ve spoken to him a lot. He said you have to take this opportunity. It’s huge and he gave us a little bit of advice, which I won’t tell you! He’s a great man, John. I’m grateful for everything he’s done for me at Aston Villa and how he’s helped me settle into life in Scotland.”

Sinisalo appears to have been brought in by Celtic with a long-term vision in mind. Kasper Schmeichel, who also joined Celtic this summer, is expected to be the number one next season. But in time, the former Aston Villa goalkeeper is seen as someone who can make the gloves of the first team his own.

Sinisalo has already made his debut for Celtic, having featured in the recent pre-season friendly, and he has impressed many fans, particularly with his distribution, something that will be vital if he is to succeed in Rodgers’ system.

Let’s see how Sinisalo fares at Celtic Park in the long run. If he does become a great goalkeeper, the Hoops will have McGinn to thank for his advice.

His lack of experience at the top level is worth noting though, and hopefully he will get some playing time for Celtic next season if the situation demands it.