McGinn celebrates epic Scotland turnaround by saying that "the fans could have easily gone the pub"
John McGinn says that the players of Scotland "puffed their chests out" and showed character to win against Israel twice in a crucial World Cup qualifier.
The Aston Villa midfielder Eran Zahavi scored the opening goal before Munas Dabbbur restored the visitors' lead.
Lyndon Dykes won again, having missed a penalty. However, a Scott McTominay stoppage-time winner brought Scotland closer to a playoff spot.
"The first half was not good enough." McGinn stated that the second half was much better.
"It could have easily been easy at half-time for us to fold, but we want to send our fans home happy. Although it's been several years since they had an occasion like this, I know they will be smiling.
They could have gone to the pub, but chose to stay with us. It was probably the best atmosphere I've ever seen here in years.
Steve Clarke, head coach, echoed these sentiments. He suggested that the roar heard around Hampden when it was announced there would be six minutes of delay time gave his players "that extra bit" of energy.
Clarke said that there were some harsh words exchanged at the interval. His side was trailing by 2-1 and facing the possibility of being overtaken by the Israelis.
He said, "If you don't want to lose the match, you're doing so in the perfect manner." The discussion was that we had to play the game our way, with more pace, ambition, and better control.
"We did that from more or less the beginning of the second half to the 96th minute, and we received our reward. We scored three goals on a night when we had to score three goals. That's huge for the group's confidence.
This victory is a third consecutive in World Cup qualification. A win in the Faroes Islands Tuesday and one in Moldova next month would guarantee Qatar 2022 a place in the play-offs before Denmark visits in the final game.
McGinn warned fans not to get too excited. "Being a fan, it's something I've seen before" - but was optimistic about Scotland's future under Clarke.
He said, "There's a real momentum around the team now." We also feel the belief in our country. It is nice to be humble and not let go, but it is good for us.
"We have strength in depth, and it's not going away. Nathan [Patterson] & Billy [Gilmour] will be playing for Scotland for at least the next 10 years, so it's a very exciting time. We can hopefully get to Qatar.
"I thought, get away, you're too young for that," Clarke, Scotland boss, said during his celebrations
Analysis: "The fans are really taken"
Leanne Crichton, a former Scotland midfielder: "The only reason I felt confident was that we've seen games in which Scotland went from back to front to left."
"This team attacked Israel and forced them to defend in their own half. It was clear that they believed that we would find a winner when they were finally penned in at the end.
Neil McCann, a former Scotland winger: "There is a club spirit around this team. It's a great experience for the fans.
"If Tuesday's application, spirit, and quality are the same as against the Faroe Islands, then we will be seeded to be in a seeded place going into the playoffs."
