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The streets are deserted right now but the phone is still ringing off the hook.

Neil McGuinness might have a crystal ball when it comes to seeing the futures of players but he couldn’t have predicted this scenario when he landed in Ohio almost a year ago.

The Columbus Crew director of scouting is on lockdown like the rest of us but the plotting never stops and the man who discovered Virgil van Dijk for Celtic reckons when things settle down there will be plenty more heading out west.

McGuinness recently recruited Chris Cadden from Motherwell, Lewis Morgan went from Celtic to Inter Miami, Gary Mackay-Steven is at New York City, where ex-Hoops boss Ronny Deila is now in charge and Johnny Russell is at Sporting Kansas.

No one is walking around right now but a few weeks ago you’d be bumping in to a fair few players, coaches and backroom staff from Scotland and the UK.

McGuinness reckons this is just the start. He has a knack for seeing what’s around the corner and he is convinced there’s a new wave of talent heading Stateside.

It won’t be like the old NASL days of Pele, George Best and Johan Cruyff, or the early MLS times when David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Thierry Henry took their brands across the Atlantic in the twilight of their careers.

(Image: Getty)

So too did Scots such as Kris Boyd, Kenny Miller and Shaun Maloney but McGuinness warned the United States is no country for old men these days.

The super scout – who spent six years at Parkhead working with Neil Lennon and then Ronny Deila – said: “There has been a massive shift in the age range and type of player coming to the league. No disrespect intended but those guys would struggle to get the same opportunity to come to the league as it is these days in comparison to when they made the move previously.

“The mentality in the league has shifted. Teams are no longer looking to provide a final staging post for players.

“One thing that all the boys who came over have in common is that they are exciting players.

“They have a mix of pace, stamina, trickery on the ball, they are entertaining players to watch and I think that’s another thing that the teams in MLS in general are trying to bring with their recruitment, players that get the fans engaged. They are not your typical Scottish profile of player, they are all capable of getting people off their seats during the game.

“It brings more eyes to the league as people will want to see how they do which has a knock on effect and gets more folk keeping and eye on their progression and in turn the league itself.”

Morgan copped some flak for heading to the US to sign for Beckham’s Florida franchise but McGuinness bristles when snipers suggest it was a lifestyle move.

He said: “I saw Lewis the other week for Inter Miami at DC and I thought that he was their best player.

(Image: USA TODAY Sports)

“It says a lot about him as a young player, moving countries and being able to produce that level of performance away from home in just his second game.

“People describing his move as a lifestyle choice – that is a mixture of a lack of education on the league and also seeing the hype and media around the club due to the ownership group.

“What is happening at Miami is great for the league in terms of exposure and its an exciting move for him to make. I’m sure he didn’t take much convincing to be part of a new emerging team.”

The frenzy isn’t just in Miami as McGuinness – who spent three years as a star spotter for the Qatar Football Association after leaving Celtic in 2015 – said: “I think MLS is in a great place just now.

“A real buzz exists right now. It’s one of the real emerging leagues globally and its definitely on an upward curve.”

It’s not just the players who are now looking to the MLS. McGuinness was quickly sold on the switch in April last year.

He said: “I was speaking to a couple of clubs but when I got into Columbus I instantly had a better feeling about the place.

“The people were more welcoming than anywhere I had worked previously and the city had a great feeling to it.

“It was the welcome I got coupled with how positive everyone connected to the club was that made me want to be part of the team.

“The city really loves its sports teams here.”