Sir Kenny Dalgish was in no doubt when naming ” the most underrated Scottish player”

Sir Kenny Dalglish has never been a man who struggles to make big football judgements, but when it came to naming “the most underrated Scottish player”, there was absolutely no hesitation in his voice. The Liverpool and Celtic legend, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers Scotland has ever produced, spoke with complete conviction — and the name he chose was John McGinn.

According to Dalglish, McGinn is a player whose value often goes unnoticed simply because he makes the difficult things in football look easy. His work rate, leadership, mentality, and consistency rarely dominate headlines, but they form the backbone of everything he represents on the pitch. Dalglish believes that while some players shine under bright lights, McGinn shines in the moments that truly matter — the hard tackles, the pressing, the clever runs, the transitions from defence to attack, and the intelligence to bind a team together.

He argued that McGinn’s rise from St. Mirren to Hibernian, and later to Aston Villa, is one of the best examples of a modern Scottish success story. Not only has McGinn become a Premier League mainstay, but he’s also one of the most influential figures in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad. For Dalglish, these achievements are not given the level of recognition they deserve. Fans and pundits often focus on flashier talents, but the consistency and reliability McGinn brings to the pitch guarantee his importance.

Dalglish went further to emphasise that McGinn’s style of play represents everything Scottish football prides itself on — passion, determination, grit, and honesty — combined with a surprisingly high level of technical quality. In his view, McGinn is the type of player every manager wants, every teammate appreciates, but not every fan fully understands.

So when Sir Kenny Dalglish named John McGinn as Scotland’s most underrated star, he wasn’t just giving a compliment. He was sending a reminder to the football world: sometimes the most important players are not the loudest, not the flashiest, but the ones who leave everything on the pitch — exactly what John McGinn does every single game.