Aston Villa have confirmed that captain John McGinn has signed a new contract with the club, keeping him with us until 2028.
The 31-year-old joined us from Hibernian in 2018 and has since gone on to make 299 appearances for the club, scoring 33 goals and providing 41 assists to go with his overall influence in the side.
McGinn has been a fundamental presence in our ascent from the Championship to establishing ourselves in the Premier League again, while then building on that under Unai Emery to qualify for the Champions League and secure European football in three consecutive seasons.
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Naturally, there have been ups and downs throughout that process, but McGinn remains a highly-valued and hugely influential figure in the squad, both on and off the pitch, with his character, personality and ability to set the tone for the rest of the side with his energy, tenacity and determination.
As per the club’s official statement, he has now secured his future with us until 2028, and beyond the fact that he still has plenty left in the tank on the pitch, he will be an important voice as a stalwart in the side to set the standard and level of expectation for incoming players to ensure that we continue to make progress and enjoy success under Emery moving forward.
In turn, it’s a huge boost to see him put pen to paper on a new contract as he follows a number of other key members of the current squad in doing so, and with Emery keeping that nucleus in place, it’s hoped that we can continue to build around them and strengthen, as we look to continue to compete at the top level both in terms of European football and for silverware.
As our skipper and talisman in midfield, McGinn will continue to have a pivotal role to play in that process, as he’s undoubtedly one of the trusted generals in Emery’s side who has been critical to his success with us thus far, and when that rebuild does come as part of a longer-term plan, the Scottish international will no doubt be a crucial presence to have within the group.