Matt Maher: Humble John McGinn is a hero on and off the pitch for Aston Villa

The moment you saw them, you knew why.

Somewhere in the middle of it all was John McGinn, signing autographs, posing for photographs and generally chewing the fat about one of the greatest nights of his and their lives.

The latter point had no particular significance. Whatever the result, win, lose or draw, it’s not uncommon to see McGinn in the same place, always the last to depart the ground, never short of time for the most important people at the club.

The fact a player capable of great heights on the pitch remains so grounded off it is a major part of his popularity.

Shortly after he signed from Hibernian in 2018, a member of Villa staff with decades of experience in the sport described McGinn as the “most normal” footballer he’d ever encountered.

Despite all the subsequent success, increased fame and wealth, he has not changed a bit. In an era when players can often feel more removed from supporters than ever, McGinn’s down-to-earth demeanour maintains a strong connection. If you were to ask Villa supporters to pick the player most likely to turn up at random in their local pub on a Saturday night, the captain would top the list every time.

As comfortable in conversation with your everyday fan as he is the Prince of Wales, McGinn is never less than interesting company. In eight years, it is difficult to recall him giving a boring answer to the press, no matter how bad the question.

There is nothing unremarkable either about his achievements on the field, with Thursday night’s brace and man-of-the-match performance in the 4-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest merely the latest chapter.

A week on Wednesday in Istanbul, when McGinn will aim to become the first Villa skipper since Andy Townsend 30 years ago to lift a major trophy, has the potential to be the most glorious yet.

There is no player who epitomises Villa’s incredible revival over the past eight years than McGinn.

One of the first signings following Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens’ vital takeover in summer 2018, the £2.75million fee ranks among the biggest bargains not only in Villa’s history but the English game as a whole.

It would never have happened had Celtic, a club to whom McGinn has close emotional ties, not tried to be so cute in their dealings with Hibs, over a player they had presumed for most of that window would be theirs. McGinn had even met with then Hoops boss Brendan Rogers and personal terms agreed.

Then Villa boss Steve Bruce pulled out every trick to make sure it was the English club who won the race, rounding up all of the club’s Scottish staff, including assistant Colin Calderwood and under-23s boss Kevin MacDonald, to make McGinn feel at home on his first visit to Bodymoor Heath. Bruce, fittingly referenced by the skipper in the aftermath of Thursday, also arranged a trip to Villa Park which helped further convince the 23-year-old to make the move.

From there, it has been a case of pick your best moment. McGinn was integral to Villa winning promotion, scoring the winning goal against Derby in the play-off final, then netted their first goal back in the Premier League before helping them stay up by the skin of their teeth.

Under Emery’s guidance, he and Villa have reached levels which once felt impossible.

That’s not to say there haven’t been low points. When Emery first arrived at Villa in November 2022, McGinn’s future appeared uncertain, a loss of form in the final months of Steven Gerrard’s reign leading to him being sarcastically cheered off during a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest, comfortably the lowest point of his time at the club.#

He did not start Emery’s first match in charge but the Spaniard, sensibly, ignored those telling him McGinn’s time was up and judged things with his own eyes. McGinn has repaid him by becoming the heartbeat of a Villa team which has now long forgotten its supposed limits.

This season may come to be regarded as the finest yet, for both men. McGinn has scored nine goals, matching his tally for a top flight season with still four matches to play. Those strikes include the only goal in the 1-0 win over Bologna which belatedly kickstarted Villa’s campaign and the opener in March’s 2-0 victory over West Ham, another key result which breathed new life into a campaign in danger of faltering at the vital moment.

Just when you think McGinn can’t get any better, he does.

There is a lesson there which applies to this Villa team. Many were ready to write them off after three straight defeats, culminating in last Sunday’s admittedly dire home defeat to Tottenham.

For the first time since last summer they were replaced as favourites to win the Europa League by Forest, the lure of a 10-match unbeaten run proving too much for many punters.

Yet who would dare bet against Villa now, after a performance which ranked among the best of Emery’s entire reign?

There is still work to do, of course, if they are to win the trophy and grasp, in McGinn’s own words, their chance to become true Villa legends.

Yet Whatever happens, his own place in that particular club increasingly feels assured.