John McGinn admits he had entered a ‘comfort zone’ in Scottish football and insists he joined Aston Villa because he is ambitious.

The Scotland cap was chased all summer by Celtic, with manager Brendan Rodgers going public on his pursuit of the midfielder.

However, with Hibernian refusing to budge in their valuation of their star player, Villa won the race for his signature last week.

The 23-year-old enjoyed an impressive debut for the English Championship side in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Wigan Athletic and confessed he felt it was time to leave Scottish football.

He said: “[In Scotland] you can enter a comfort zone.

“I felt as though I had already developed a reputation there and felt it was important to go and prove that I can play somewhere else.

“I’m ambitious, which is why I chose Villa.”

McGinn’s display instantly won over the Villa supporters at the weekend and has earned him a place in the English Football League team of the week.

According to the EFL, the former St Mirren youngster ‘had a debut to remember for Villa, impressing at the heart of midfield and causing chaos with his expert delivery, which led to two of the hosts’ three goals in a Villa Park thriller’.

McGinn was joined in the team by Scotland keeper Jordan Archer and former Dundee and Kilmarnock midfielder Mark O’Hara, who scored twice for new side Peterborough United in their 4-1 win way to Rochdale.