World Cup 2026

Scotland star John McGinn is calling for greater awareness and acceptance of children who wear glasses or protective goggles whilst playing football - inspired by his young nephew, Jack.

- EXPRESS REPORTER

McGinn's now-famous 'goggles celebration' began as a personal gesture of support for Jack, who was found to have poor eyesight at the age of four.

He needs to wear glasses daily and goggles to play football for Paisley's Glenvale FC.

"Jack is my firstborn nephew, and he was really upset when he had his eyes tested at first," McGinn explains. "He didn't want to be different from the others.

"As a wee bit of support, I said I'd do the goggles celebration. I didn't manage to score at the Euros, so the first time I did it was a few months later for Aston Villa. He was absolutely over the moon."

What started as a small gesture quickly turned into something much bigger - a movement helping children around the world feel confident wearing their glasses or goggles with pride.

McGinn — a St Mirren FC alumni — believes playing in the English Premier League has given the celebration a global platform, raising awareness that eyesight challenges shouldn't prevent children from enjoying sport.