'Success seems to follow larger-than-life McGinn'

[Getty Images] In the days following Unai Emery's appointment as Aston Villa head coach, John McGinn was north of the border catching up with some old friends when some classic west of Scotland pessimism set in. "He is going to think: 'Who is this wee Scottish guy?" he told his mates in a panic, fearing the worst about his role in the Spaniard's reshaping of the club. If he was to replay that scene in his head almost four years on, he would surely find it difficult not to chuckle at his own expense. McGinn lifted Villa's first major silverware in 30 years last month and the 31-year-old has just enjoyed his highest-scoring season at club level. Whatever jersey he has on, success seems to follow the all-action midfielder - and it doesn't feel like pure coincidence. A crunching tackle at the Holte End against Wigan on his Villa debut endeared him to the support. His first goal, a wonder strike against Sheffield Wednesday , came a month later. He ended his first campaign in Birmingham by scoring the winner in the Championship play-off final against Derby at Wembley. It is poignant that the lad responsible for taking Villa back to the Premier League in 2019 went on to lift the Europa League as captain seven years later. He has become a legend at the club, with more still to give. His bubbly, larger-than-life character sets him apart from most. Last week, he was comfortable admitting to BBC Scotland that he had packed a European plug adapter for his summer trip to the United States. McGinn doesn't take himself too seriously - possibly because he knows if he did, he would be brought crashing back down to earth by his grounded family and friends. "He is the same person now as he was back then," his former team-mate Scott Allan said. "That is a huge credit to himself and his parents." McGinn is 31 years old, but his story still has pages to fill. Another Champions League campaign is on the way in a Villa side buoyed by long-awaited silverware. First, however, there is a World Cup to savour. McGinn is a Harry Potter fanatic, but there is no fiction about the story of the boy from Clydebank who will, in the coming weeks, attempt to sprinkle more magic on the career of his dreams. Read the full article here