McGinn tempted by Celtic

30th November 2008

Irish football's hottest prospect, Niall McGinn, has welcomed the inclusion of Celtic into the race for his signature.

The Parkhead club are said to be considering making a bid for the 21-year-old Derry City midfielder, who is being coveted by several clubs including Swansea City.

The former Dungannon Swifts player has quickly become the most talked about player in Ireland following his move to the Brandywell in January.

"Celtic are obviously a big club and it is a great honour to discover that they are looking at me," he told PA Sport said. "It would be a great move.

"I was a Manchester United fan as a boy but Celtic were my Scottish team, so it is obviously something I would consider. There are a few clubs in for me, so I will have a look at my options.

"But I don't want to play in the reserves, I want to play first-team football. I need to be playing regularly to keep me in the Northern Ireland squad. So there is no point leaving Derry City, where I am getting first-team football, to play in the reserves in Scotland, or for that matter, in England."