Brendan Rodgers’s Celtic reportedly wanted John McGinn before he joined Aston Villa from Hibernian in the summer transfer window.
Brown has retired from international duty, and the 33-year-old midfielder is focusing fully on his club career with Scottish Premiership giants Celtic.
McGinn is only 23 years of age, and the Villa midfielder has played nine times for the Scotland national football team.
Teale played with and then managed McGinn, and the former Scotland international winger has backed the former Hibernian star to be a leader in the national team’s midfield in the absence of Brown.
“He’s definitely the sort that could take up that leadership mantle now that Scott Brown has retired,” Teale told The Glasgow Evening Times about McGinn.
“From playing with him as a teammate and then managing him for that short space of time, you could see what he was all about.”
Teale added: “He’s certainly got it in his locker. He’s still a young boy, but I think he can get that personality over to the more experienced players in the team and show how good a leader he can be.”
Celtic summer interest
McGinn moved to Villa in the Championship in England from Scottish Premiership side Hibernian in the summer transfer window for a fee reported by The Lancashire Telegraph to be worth £4 million.
Celtic, though, were interested in securing the services of the Scotland international midfielder, according to The Daily Record, with the Glasgow giants claimed to have matched the Villans’ offer for the 23-year-old.
Strong start
McGinn has made a good start to life at Villa and has established himself as an important player for Steve Bruce’s side.
The 23-year-old midfielder has provided two assists in seven Championship appearances for the Villans so far this season, according to WhoScored.
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