The 23-year-old right back has signed a two-year deal with Premiership side Dundee but after narrowly missing out on the play offs with Dumbarton — and dominating the club’s player of the year awards — the former St Mirren man was full of praise for Sons.

With his Dumbarton contract coming to an end, McGinn was not short of offers.

As well as Dumbarton offering him a new deal, Queen of the South and Hamilton also offerered him terms but McGinn says he was not interested in a move to Queens because he didn’t want to face his former team mates in league duty.

The defender said: “It wasn’t easy leaving Dumbarton as I couldn’t have had a better time at the club.

“Everyone has been so good to me so I am glad I am going to another division.

“I wouldn’t mind playing Dumbarton in a cup but I wouldn’t want to play against them on a regular basis.

“I would just like to thank the fans for all the help and support I have had.

“It is so much easier playing when the fans are behind you and you feel valued.

“It makes you more confident on the pitch and it is definitely an easier game to play when that is the case. “ McGinn was certainly made to feel valued at the club’s player of the year night where he won four of the five available player of the year awards, in what he describes as one of his proudest moments, albeit he joked his speeches after collecting the awards could have been better.

He continued: “It is a great squad so winning the awards was a proud moment and I think my mum and my dad were a bit gutted they didn’t come.

“My granddad and my dad grew up in Dumbarton so I was really proud — apart from the speeches — which I need to work on as I am absolutely hopeless at them.

“With a ball at my feet I am ok but speaking in front of a crowd I am a bottle merchant.” On the pitch McGinn has proven himself to be anything but a bottle merchant and he is confident he can make the step up to the Premiership with his new club.

McGinn continued: “Dundee appealed because of the ambition they have shown, they have signed players with plenty of SPL experience and I played with Paul McGowan and I know how good he is so Dundee was definitely the offer that appealed to me the most.” And while McGinn is looking forward to returning to Scotland’s top flight, he believes that Dumbarton can continue to thrive, even in a league with Hibs, Hearts and Rangers, he concluded: “I hope to get back to Dumbarton to watch a few games this season and hopefully they continue to score so many goals.

“I’ll be looking out for who they are bringing in but having a similar group to last year will be good.

“It will be a hard league but it will be good to play in and fingers crossed Dumbarton can pick up plenty of points.

“There are some great players in the squad and they have done really well to keep hold of Mitch when there was a few others sniffing about — he scores goals from midfield and you can’t buy that.” Dundee may not have bought themselves the world’s best public speaker but there is no doubt the have signed one of Scotland’s top full backs.