John McGinn has seen it all during his eight years at Aston Villa. From promotions and fights for Premier League survival to taking down Europe's best and now reaching a Europa League final, the Scottish international has been a constant presence. He continues to improve under Villa boss Unai Emery.
After Villa's memorable 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest to book their place in the final, the Villa skipper reflected on what Emery has done for him. But he also acknowledged how all the previous managers have aided his rise, including Steve Bruce, who brought McGinn to the club in 2018.
McGinn told TNT Sports: "He has been amazing, so have all the managers I've worked under. Steve Bruce made me believe I could compete in England. Dean Smith made me believe I could compete in the Premier League. Steven Gerrard made me a leader and Unai Emery has made me a much better footballer. In a way as the club has grown, I have grown step by step alongside it. There are moments when I'm not at my best but here at Villa Park I feel comfortable and I am loving it at the minute."
Universally loved by Villa fans, it was fitting that the fan favourite scored the two goals that got Emery's side over the line. He also revealed how he delivered a message to the players before and after the game, calling on them to avoid the tag of being 'nearly men'.
He added: "We've been through a lot together, low moments and it is a demanding club to play for. But when Villa Park is like this there is no better place to play your football. What we've done over the last few years is exceptional and I said to the lads before the game, we need to do ourselves justice. The margins in football are so slim that if we lost we were the nearly men. We go to Istanbul now and need to make sure we're not the nearly men."
