Goodwin says Wolves loanee Ronan can become as good as McGinn

Wolves loanee Connor Ronan has been praised by Jim Goodwin, his manager at St Mirren.

Ronan scored his third goal of the season on Sunday when he smashed home a stunning strike against Rangers.

Goodwin has already tipped Ronan for a potential Republic of Ireland call-up this season.

And now he has said he has the quality to go on and be as good as Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn.

“He’s been one of our star performers since he’s came in. He’s a real creative spark for us and his goal at the weekend is one of the candidates for Goal of the Season,” said Goodwin of Ronan.

“Wolves have got high hopes for Connor and this is just another step in his development. Hopefully he finishes this season in a positive manner and can go back down to Wolverhampton and become a first-team regular.

“I believe he’s good enough – the English Premier League is, of course, a different kettle of fish altogether – but I’ve seen the likes of John McGinn and Kenny McLean go down and be successful.

“I’ve got no reason to believe Connor Ronan can’t do the same. I think he’s worthy of comparing him to McGinn and McLean, I really do. Performances like the weekend’s can only benefit Connor in the long run.”

McGinn moved to Villa for £2.75 million in August 2018 from Hibernian.

Often, English clubs sniff at players who come down from Scotland, wondering if they can do the business in the Premier League.

In June, McGinn was reportedly a target for Manchester United and Liverpool, with Villa demanding £50 million to let him go.

Ronan is a way off that yet, but it underlines that Scottish football can still be a proving ground for quality players to lay the groundwork for a good career south of the border.

The Irishman needs to keep working hard and improving, but Wolves are not exactly flush with central midfielders, and a space in the squad could open up for Ronan if he plays well and gets international recognition.

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