Aston Villa have announced captain John McGinn has signed a new long-term contract.
The midfielder’s new deal keeps him at the club until 2027.
McGinn moved to Villa Park from Hibernian in 2018 and helped them earn promotion to the Premier League in 2019 with a goal in the Championship play-off final against Derby.
Signed and sealed. ✅@JMcGinn7 ✍️ 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣7️⃣ pic.twitter.com/4zpnQ7thOL
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) June 23, 2023
The 28-year-old was named club captain last summer and was a key part of the Villa set-up last season, making 34 Premier League appearances.
He helped the club secure European football for the first time since 2010 after a stunning turnaround under manager Unai Emery saw Villa finish seventh in the league.
McGinn also represents Scotland on the international stage, earning 56 caps for his country, and he recently featured in their Euro 2024 qualifying wins against Georgia and Norway.
Tuesday night's victory over Georgia was a surreal encounter after a heavy downpour caused a two-hour delay to proceedings, with the away side reluctant to restart the game.
McGinn admitted after the game that he thought the opposition were 'at it' but was happy that the full 90 minutes were completed on the night.
“It was mental, an absolutely mental night,” he said.
“It all felt a little bit subdued if I am honest. We’ve had a massive, massive win, but the supporters needed to get their buses and trains home.
“Fair play to every single one of them, it was them I felt for. It was fine for us, we were getting shelter and everything we needed.
“But there’s no doubt the messages weren’t clear. There were a lot of mixed messages and Georgia were playing funny buggers. They were obviously trying to get it changed or get it moved because we had just scored.
“It was one of those things, but in the end common sense prevailed because in my opinion the game could have started a little bit earlier.
“There were obviously discussions to be had at various levels, but thankfully we were able to get the job done.
“We were never told [the game might be abandoned]. It was just mixed signals in the sense we were told the game was kicking off at 8.55, then 9.15, it was just mental.
“I think we’re all just relieved to get the game played and get the three points.
“Listen, I can in a way understand why they were wanting it off, they’d just conceded and we’d probably have done the same thing. But it became clear the game was going on and even then, they were at it.
“Eventually the officials brought them out and the game went ahead.
“The whole period was strange. It was the most surreal night of my life.”
