'We got Champions League bibs and balls on Sunday... I can't tell you how proud and happy it ano made me'

McGINN LIVING A EURO DREAM

- Neil Moxley

YOUNG BOYS VA VILLA 5.45PM, TNT SPORTS

JOHN MCGINN will never forget the conversation with Unai Emery that opened the door for him to play in the Champions League.

Why would he? It is highly unlikely that the midfielder would have made it had that brief exchange not taken place.

Emery was preparing for his first match as Villa manager in November 2022 when he pulled McGinn aside in the team hotel the night before.

The Villa captain said: "At the time I had just lost my place in the team.

"The manager told me he was advised that he would have to change the captain and move me on.

"He said, 'I've been told this about you but I'll make my own judgment. If my own judgment is that I don't see you being involved here, then I'll make it clear and let you know'.

"He told me that my last 10 games hadn't been good. But he said he'd watched the 10 before that and they were. He asked, 'Can you tell me why that is?'.

"I was thinking, 'Why has he watched 20 games of mine?'. I thought my time was up.