Paul McGinn, born on 22 October 1990 (age 35), is a Scottish defender who now plays for Motherwell, wearing squad number 16. Primarily used as a central defender, he has built a long domestic career on reliability rather than fuss.
He came through at St Mirren, with early loan spells giving him the senior football needed to move beyond youth-team promise. That period mattered: it took him into the routine of first-team defending, where mistakes are noticed and excuses tend not to last long.
His strongest league season in front of goal came back at St Mirren in 2018-2019, when he scored three times in 35 appearances. That was not the headline act of his game, but it showed the value he could add while doing the less decorative work expected of a defender.
McGinn remains a regular part of Motherwell’s first team in 2025-2026. He has made 33 league appearances, along with four in the League Cup and one in the Scottish Cup, taking him to 38 appearances across all competitions for the season, without a goal.
His current market value is around £85,000, according to Transfermarkt. At this stage of his career, his relevance is clear enough: an experienced Scottish defender still getting picked regularly in the top flight.
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