John McGinn captained Aston Villa as they impressed in the Champions League - but can they do even better next season?
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John McGinn
Mission... John McGinn, the Aston Villa captain(Image: Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)
John McGinn has been tipped to lead Aston Villa to European glory next season after an impressive run in the Champions League.
Villa, returning to the elite competition for the first time in more than 40 years, narrowly lost out to eventual winners Paris Saint Germain in the last eight.
A final-day defeat at Manchester United last season denied Villa, European Cup winners in 1982, the chance to participate again in 2025/26, but their sixth place in the Premier League means they will be in the Europa League instead - a competition they have been told they can win.
Colin Hendry, a title winner with Blackburn in 1995, believes fellow Scot McGinn can captain Villa to more European silverware.
"You know what, I think Aston Villa and John would really back themselves to do well in the Europa League next season," the former Scotland international captain defender told gaming site Coin Poker.
"They’ve got a team that can compete with the best in Europe - we saw that after what they did in the Champions League - and they’ve got a manager who knows how to win the competition - he’s lifted it more times than anyone else."
Unai Emery, then coach of Sevilla, kisses the trophy after the UEFA Europa League final against FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
Emery has won the Europa League a record four times, with Seville from 2014 to 2016 and with Villarreal in 2021.
"I think the gap between the Premier League and the rest is getting wider every year," Hendry added.
"It’s strange to think that the final last year was contested by Manchester United and Tottenham, two massive clubs, but both were languishing at the bottom of the Premier League table.
"So yeah, Villa and McGinn, can they win that tournament? It wouldn’t surprise me if they started the season as favourites for it and I would be amazed if they didn’t go deep in the competition."
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