John McGinn has expressed delight after helping Aston Villa to Europa League success over Freiburg on Wednesday.
Villa sealed their first European trophy in 44 years following their 3-0 win over the German side in Istanbul in Wednesday’s final encounter.
McGinn, who became the second Aston Villa captain to lead the club to a major European trophy, labelled the night as the ‘proudest moment of his career’ during his post-match duties.
“I can’t believe it. This club was close to being in a right bad way seven years ago. Nassef Sawiris bought the club and had one remit: to get the club back to the Premier League and then try to compete at the levels it had before”, McGinn said.
“Tonight was everything we have built coming together.
The pride I felt at 3-0 with 10 minutes to go, thinking ‘we’re European champions’ is something I can’t even describe.”
Aston Villa were favourites heading into the clash and took the lead close to halftime when Youri Tielemans fired in a stunning goal after a clever corner routine.
Emiliano Buendia then came up with another belter in first half stoppage-time, giving the English side a two-goal advantage heading into the break.
Morgan Rogers rounded off scoring in the second half to seal the win, as Unai Emery won the Europa League title for the fifth time as manager.
“It’s the proudest night of my career so far. I’m going to try to enjoy it. I like to party sometimes. I’ll try to take it easy and soak it all in”, McGinn added.
“I watched my mates win trophies – Andy Robertson, Jack Grealish – so it’s my turn tonight. Maybe not the big one they’ve won but to me it’s so, so special. I’ll treasure every minute.”
Aston Villa will now round off their season against Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday, hoping to spoil the Cityzens farewell party for Pep Guardiola, John Stones and Bernardo Silva.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
