Aston Villa captain John McGinn has detailed a life-threatening training accident that occurred during his time as a teenager at St Mirren. The incident, reported by Daily Mail Sport, happened in April 2015 when a training pole impaled his leg during a possession drill.
McGinn, now 31 and with 89 caps for Scotland, was a young player at St Mirren under then-manager Gary Teale. During the drill, a teammate, Steven Thompson, was involved in the play that led to the freak accident. A pole went 7.7 centimetres into McGinn's leg, hit a bone, and came back out.
What happened during the St Mirren accident?
The club did not have a full-time doctor on site at the time, but a doctor who was present initially cleared the wound. McGinn went for a scan as a precaution. The scan revealed the pole had missed his femoral artery by just one millimetre. A surgeon later told him that if the artery had been hit, he would have bled out in minutes and died.
"If it hit that, you were dead, basically. You would have bled out in minutes," McGinn said, recalling the surgeon's assessment. The midfielder made a full recovery but the close call has stayed with him. He even took a training pole to Thompson's retirement event as a darkly humorous memento.
How did the accident affect McGinn's career path?
McGinn later transferred to Hibernian, where he won the Scottish Cup. In 2018, he was expected to join Celtic, the club he supports and where his grandfather, Jack McGinn, was chairman in the 1990s. Manager Brendan Rodgers wanted to sign him, but Celtic did not submit a bid that met Hibernian's valuation.
Instead, Aston Villa, then in the Championship, moved decisively. Manager Steve Bruce called McGinn directly. "Steve Bruce called and said, 'get on a flight, we've agreed a fee'," McGinn recounted. Villa opened Villa Park at night to complete the signing for less than £3 million, offering him box number seven and the number 7 jersey. The move has been a spectacular success, with Villa winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League in two of the last three seasons.
Where does St Mirren stand currently?
While reflecting on a past incident, St Mirren's current focus is on a strong start to the 2026/27 Premiership campaign. The club sits 3rd in the table with six points from two wins in two games, boasting a perfect defensive record with three goals scored and none conceded. You can follow their progress on our standings page.
Their next challenge is a home match against 4th-placed Motherwell on 30 August 2026. This early-season form provides a positive backdrop as the club prepares for another important fixture, details of which are on our fixtures schedule. The squad will be looking to maintain their momentum and defensive solidity.
What is the legacy of such a close call?
The revelation underscores the fine margins in football, both on and off the pitch. A routine training session nearly ended a career before it truly blossomed. McGinn's subsequent rise to become a Premier League and international captain highlights the potential that was almost lost. For St Mirren, the story is a stark reminder from their own history, even as the current team builds its own positive narrative on the field. The club's medical and safety protocols have undoubtedly evolved since 2015, a period when they lacked a full-time doctor. Fans can track the fitness of the current playing group via our injuries page.
