John McGinn has said leading Aston Villa out in the Europa League final will be his proudest moment with the club.
McGinn signed for Aston Villa when the club were in the second tier of English football and has been a key part of their recent rise.
The 31-year-old has the chance to become the first Aston Villa captain to lift a major trophy in 30 years tonight, when Unai Emery’s team take on SC Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul.
Reflecting on the journey, McGinn was asked whether tonight’s final would be his proudest moment at Villa Park.
“I’d say so, yes,” said the Scotland midfielder at a pre-match press conference.
“It’s been a brilliant journey. Full of ups and downs, close moments, close to going back to the Championship.
“And it fills me with pride as to where the club is now, and it also fills me with pride as to where this club could go, like the manager has touched upon.
“This isn’t something we want to come here and celebrate in a sort of fanfare.
“We want to be focused on this match. We know how good Freiburg are.
“We know how difficult it is to get to a final. So, we’ll treat them with the utmost respect, like they deserve, and we will only build as a club if we keep doing the same things that we are doing.
“But, if you ask on a personal level, after all the years I’ve been here, it definitely is the proudest moment as captain.”
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