Are you sure, Pat?! Chelsea legend Nevin insists he’d have John McGinn in his side AHEAD of former Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric… as he backs the Scotland midfielder to ‘outrun’ and ‘close down’ the veteran star in Croatia showdown
Former Scotland international Pat Nevin has sensationally suggested that he’d rather have Aston Villa‘s John McGinn in his team ahead of former Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric ahead of Scotland’s final Group D encounter against Croatia.
The match on Tuesday could prove decisive in their hopes of reaching the knockout stages after both sides lost their openers.
Croatia captain and 2018 Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric struggled to make an impact against England as the likes of Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips closed down any threat from the 35-year-old.
Former Scotland international Pat Nevin played 28 times for the side between 1986 and 1996
And Nevin, who played 28 times for Scotland in the 1980s and 1990s, believes that Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn will give Modric similar problems.
Chatting on BBC’s A View From The Terrace, Nevin has backed McGinn to win the midfield battle against the former Tottenham star.
‘I’m not sure Croatia are the team they used to be,’ he said.
Aston Villa’s John McGinn has been outstanding for Scotland since he made his debut in 2016
‘I watched the Champions League semi-final recently. McGinn versus Modric? Honestly, I’m now McGinn, all day long.
‘Modric is one of my favourite players of the past 20 years. But he’s of an age now where, see if you outrun him, it doesn’t matter how good you are.
‘If we don’t close him down he’ll destroy us, but we will close him down and it’ll be McGinn as part of the team doing that.’
2018 Ballon D’Or winner Luka Modric struggled to make an impact in Croatia’s loss to England