John McGinn hails Unai Emery's 'hunger' as Aston Villa reign reaches four years

Saturday’s visit of Manchester City marks the anniversary of Emery’s appointment and a moment which drastically altered the course of the club’s history.

The Spaniard replaced Steven Gerrard with Villa sat just above the Premier League’s relegation zone.

On Wednesday, the Europa League winners beat Viking 3-1 to continue the perfect start to their fourth straight season in European competition, the second of those in the Champions League.

It has been a remarkable journey and McGinn, one of those who has been on it from the start, hopes it is some way from finished yet.

“It’s been four years of long meetings! I have loved every minute of it,” said the skipper, making reference to the infamous video sessions which form the backbone to Emery’s coaching method.

“It has been a long time, but he has the same hunger and desire that I saw in his first weeks at Aston Villa, so we are very lucky to have him, hopefully for at least another four years.”

Emery faced his toughest challenge last summer when more than half of the team which won last season’s Europa League departed.

But after a difficult start, which included a chastening 4-0 opening day defeat to Brighton, McGinn believes the rebuilt Villa team are “starting to charge” with summer signings Johan Manzambi, Ibrahim Mbaye and Nicolas Jackson coming to the fore.

Villa host City, in a match which may ultimately mean nothing a few months from now, unbeaten in their last six matches, winning five of them.

“A really tough start and it would have been very easy to go the other way and to dip your head and for people to start doing their own things,” said McGinn.

“But us who have been here for a long time know to stay calm and trust the manager and try to get everyone building in the same direction.

“Without results that means nothing, though, so it’s nice to see them coming now. It’s getting harder now, against City, Bournemouth, Barcelona and Fulham. It’s a very exciting time and demanding, but we’re now starting to charge.”

Emery has engineered Villa’s rise, the scale of which is still overlooked by some outside the Midlands, despite the club facing a constant battle to stay within both the Premier League and Uefa’s financial rules.

But McGinn believes those restrictions, while to a large part forced the huge summer shake-up, need be no barrier to success.

“We are used to change,” he explained. “The manager is used to change and I am used to change.

“The club, unfortunately, is used to change, but that could be different in the next few years when we try to get to where we want to get to.

“It was about staying calm, blocking out the noise. We seem to be at our best when we float under the radar and everyone seems to forget about Aston Villa.

“So if we keep playing like that and we keep adding players playing at their best and making the team a priority, we will be absolutely fine.”

Asked finally where he believed Emery ranked on the list of the world’s best managers, McGinn replied: “He is right up there. We are very lucky to have him. He has made our team compete consistently with the best in the country.

“He is right up there, but he does not listen to that noise. He keeps wanting more and keeps wanting the best for us and for Aston Villa. Long may that continue, until someone comes to try and nab him off us.”