By Graham Hill
JOHN McGinn insists his move to Aston Villa could not have gone better – but his only problem is that he says people in Birmingham cannot understand him.
McGinn was signed by ex-boss Steve Bruce in a knockdown £2.8million deal from Hibernian last summer.
And while things have not gone his way in a Scotland shirt recently, his club form has helped Villa back into the Championship play-off race.
But he admits his accent means he has some difficulties when he is out and about in the city.
McGinn smiled: “Initially down here, it can be tough.
“Especially when you’re going into shops and they don’t understand you.
“My accent is quite strong.
“Even ordering a coffee can be quite difficult.
“I’ll ask for something like a Cappuccino and they’ll just go: ‘What? Sorry?’
“In the Villa team, Birkir Bjarnason and Anwar El Ghazi have no idea what I’m saying.
“I need to slow down a bit.
“But I can’t develop an English accent, I’ll get too much stick back at home for that.”
Glasgow-born McGinn, 24, admits moving south of the border is different from his previous experience of living away from home.
He added: “I lived away before in Edinburgh for three years, but I used to take a black bag full of washing home to my mum!
“Now my girlfriend’s moved down here, so that’s helped because the rest of the lads here go home to their families.”