Stephen Warnock has praised the impact that John McGinn has had on Aston Villa saying he epitomises everything Dean Smith’s side stand for.
The pundit shared his admiration for the Scottish international after Villa’s play-off final success saw them gain promotion to the Premier League after a three year absence.
“It was brilliant, [he] covers every blade of grass. Everyone just says its down to work rate, yeah – that sets it off but he’s got the quality as-well. His passing, his range, his running power – I thought everything about him today was everything that Villa have been since Dean Smith’s sort of revival in the club has taken off,” Warnock said on Quest’s EFL play-off final recap (21:54, Monday, May 27th).
McGinn has quickly become a hero at Aston Villa since arriving from Hibernian in 2018, with the 24-year-old making 44 appearances and being involved in 18 goals in his clubs charge to the Premier League.
OPINION
John McGinn was one of the main reasons behind Aston Villa’s success this season, specifically under Dean Smith. The Scottish international was one of the bargains of the summer when arriving at Villa Park from Hibernian for just £2.7million. McGinn somewhat took a back seat throughout the midway point of the season in terms of plaudits as teammate Jack Grealish was the centre of attention. The 24-year-old midfielder earned his reward for his efforts when voted as the fans and players player of the season at the clubs official awards ceremony. The Premier League is the next hurdle for the midfielder to overcome but if he takes the same work rate and tenacity in to the top flight, he should settle in perfectly and form a great partnership with club captain Grealish, should the latter choose to stay. Dean Smith also deserves credit for his role in helping McGinn blossom – the amount of freedom he allows his midfield to have leads to them repaying him by consistently performing both in defence and attack.