The former Celtic and Aberdeen star could not turn down a return to Scotland with unfinished business in the Scottish Cup.
Northern Ireland international Niall McGinn has returned to Scotland following a failed stint in South Korea with Gwangju.
McGinn was unable to turn down a lucrative deal in the summer which saw him end his five-year relationship with Aberdeen. However, having struggled to settle in to life in Asia, he mutually terminated his contract last November.
With McGinn available it was a no-brainer for Dons boss Derek McInnes who, in search of creativity, jumped at the chance to offer his former player a new deal.
Having signed a three-and-a-half-year contract McGinn, who scored 68 goals in 223 appearances for the club across his first stint, joined up with his former teammates in Dubai for their winter training camp.
The Northern Irish forward is still hurting from the manner in which the final was snatched away from them, after Tom Rogic’s injury-time winner sealed Celtic’s treble and unbeaten domestic season.
“It would be massive to finally lift the Scottish Cup with Aberdeen,” McGinn explained, “We’ve already won the League Cup so that is the one we really want. We have been very close to that in the past and felt we had one hand on the trophy last season but it wasn’t to be.
“We know on our day we are capable of beating anyone and I am really looking forward to the [St Mirren] tie when it comes round.”
McGinn, who was visibly distraught after the final whistle in last year’s final, went on to speak of his feeling of unfinished business.
A Scottish Cup winner himself already with Celtic in 2011, a chance to go head to head against his former club and get the better of them would be the icing on top of what has been a mightily impressive Aberdeen career to date.
“It was a massive incentive for me to come back here as there’s a feeling of unfinished business in the competition after last year’s final,” he said.
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