Aston Villa and 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.
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 and needs to wear glasses daily, and goggles to play football.
‘Jack is my first-born 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,’ says John. ‘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.
John – who has just renegotiated his contract with Aston Villa until 2028 – 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.
‘My celebration gave Jack so much confidence to wear the goggles,” John explains. “He now plays for a little club called Glenvale and all his teammates know Jack is the reason why I do the celebration.
‘It makes him more comfortable to wear them – and for all children with eyesight issues, you shouldn’t be made to feel different.’
McGinn says he has been overwhelmed by the global response from parents and young players, receiving messages from across the world thanking him for raising awareness.
‘I think it’s amazing, I love being able to be a positive role model. Having an impact on so many kids around the world is a huge reason and motivation to do it. For me, it’s a huge part of my game now and something I’ll keep doing for the rest of my career,’ John adds.
Super John McGinn also highlighted the importance of safety when it comes to protective eyewear in sport.
‘The risk of a ball hitting a child wearing glasses is huge. Goggles protect their eyes, and with the technology available now, there’s no reason any child should feel uncomfortable wearing them. It’s about safety, comfort, and enjoyment,’ McGinn explains.
The 31-year-old hopes he can encourage parents to have their children’s eyesight checked regularly – and that more players will help normalise goggles on the pitch.
He explains that good eyesight is essential in football – being able to see a defender in your peripheral vision or spot a teammate making a run can be the difference in a game.
‘It’s great to see players like Andrew Tod in the Scottish Championship wearing goggles and doing their own celebration. There should be more positive messages around glasses and goggles,’ says McGinn.
Jenny Stephenson, chairperson for Specsavers Scotland, says: ‘John’s story is an inspiration to children across the world, and the very reason Specsavers works so closely with the Scottish FA – it underpins everything we do as opticians.’
Specsavers is supporting young athletes by offering a discount on prescription sports goggles for club players under the age of 18. The initiative aims to promote safety and confidence by offering 10 percent off goggles.
Jenny continues: ‘The new sports goggles campaign is about more than vision – it’s about confidence and inclusion. We want young players and their parents to see sports goggles as a normal, affordable and essential part of the game, so no child ever feels held back from playing the sport they love.
‘Parents can be reassured by Specsavers’ care and expertise, while players can focus on performance – knowing their eyewear is safe, durable and designed for the demands of football.’
John concludes: ‘I would encourage everyone to make sure they’re getting their eyes tested as frequently as possible. The earlier you find out about any issues the better.
‘Hopefully one day Jack’s out there playing at Hampden for Scotland wearing the goggles – that would be the McGinn legacy.’