He made his first start for the club only last Saturday but the early signs are that manager Tony Mowbray sees Niall McGinn as a player who could become an integral part of his first team squad. In Sunday's pulsating match against Hearts Chris Killen had headed Celtic level early in the second half to cancel out Hearts' half-time lead and Celtic were pushing hard for the winner when Mowbray sent McGinn on for Maloney with 20 minutes to play. 
with goalscorer Glenn Loovens
The boss obviously thought that the ex-Derry City bhoy could make a difference and late in the game he should have been proven correct in that assumption. In the eighty-fifth minute referee Dougie McDonald denied McGinn a clear-cut penalty kick when the winger was felled by Hearts defender Wallace as he burst into the opposition box. Celtic fans were enraged, but not surprised, at the decision but three minutes into injury-time justice was done when Glenn Loovens headed in a dramatic winner after McGinn forced a corner from Wallace.
"Obviously, I thought it was a penalty but it's the referee's decision," said Celtic's number 14. "He gave a corner and I just got on with it. I'm not one to complain about these things. It has been a great week or so for me, unbelievable. The manager has been first-class with me and to make my SPL debut last week and then make my European debut on Thursday was great. Putting me on as first substitute in Israel and against Hearts shows he is positive about me."
"I came to Celtic to play in Europe." he said. "And the game in Tel Aviv gave me a feel for it, although I don't think I have played anywhere hotter. It was so hot during the day when we went for a walk that we knew it was going to be humid at night. But playing against different teams from different parts of the world is all part of the learning curve for me as a footballer."
Northern Irish international McGinn is surprised that his chance at Celtic has come so soon but he's pleased at the impact he's made so far and thrilled that he managed to justify his manager's confidence in him during Sunday's match. "The boss has told me to get at defenders and take them on and I'm glad I came on against Hearts and played a part in the victory." he said. "It was a deserved win for us. We hit the woodwork three times and dominated most of the game after they scored. And there was such a noise when Glenn scored the winner, the whole ground erupted, it was brilliant."
"It can only be positive if the manager sees me as someone who can make an impact, give the team and the crowd a boost." said the winger. "I didn't think my chance would come so quickly. I thought I would have to wait until later in the season. But I have been given a chance and my confidence is high at the moment."