The real reasons why John McGinn is the captain Aston Villa need and deserve

John McGinn is standing up to be counted for Aston Villa this season and nobody should ever have doubted that he would.

Villa have needed leadership on the pitch. It’s been tough going. Unai Emery had to wait until the end of September for this team to pick up their first wins in the Europa League and then the Premier League after six league and cup matches without one.

In the space of three days, McGinn twice scored the goal that put Villa into the lead in matches they went on to win. There’s still uncertainty over Villa’s prospects for the season. There should be none over McGinn’s worthiness as the club’s captain.

The first six weeks of the season didn’t go to plan for Villa and in the end it was McGinn who broke the back of the situation with two beautiful goals from outside the penalty area in consecutive matches.

But there’s more to his drive to get through the frustrating start and it explains to anyone who didn’t get it why Villa weren’t willing to cash in on a rare opportunity to bring in a decent transfer fee for a player who will soon be 31 years old.

McGinn is more important to Villa than that money. It’s as simple as that.

Having started the season being played out of position due to Villa’s depth in midfield, the captain showed against Bologna and Fulham that keeping him was the right decision.

He hasn’t been set up to succeed so far in 2025/26 but has seized the initiative in the moments that matter.

McGinn’s goal against Bologna, the only goal of the game, had an expected goals (xG) value of 0.05 and the xG of his goal against Fulham on Sunday was 0.09 – he turned that into four points, if we’re being conservative about the impact of those goals.

Villa’s captain is taking charge

In a season in which Villa are struggling to play through the lines, McGinn has been responsible for more progressive carries per 90 minutes than every other season in the Premier League but one. That was the year Villa qualified for the Champions League.

His pass completion rate is improving and is nearly level with his best season in a Villa shirt, which was 2024/25, and that’s despite a significant increase in the average distance over which he’s passing the ball. Since moving back into the double pivot, his defensive actions are creeping back up towards his highest too.

Villa’s captain hasn’t touched the ball more frequently in his Villa career than he is this season. It’s the very definition of being there when his team, and his teammates, need him.

McGinn’s actions are backing up his words. He speaks candidly and hasn’t shied away from the problems Villa have faced this season. Here, too, he’s fronting up for his teammates.

“It’s a collective responsibility. We’ve not been good enough, it’s as simple as that. As professionals we can take the praise when it comes, we’ve had a lot of praise over the past few seasons and we’re rightly being criticised at the minute,” he said after the Bologna game.

“We’re not happy with what’s been happening and the results we’re getting. We know we need to turn it round but there’s quality there and tonight we showed it. It’s not enough.”

McGinn has backed the other players individually and collectively, reminding the likes of Ollie Watkins of their achievements at Villa Park over the years.

McGinn is Villa’s everything

Age is becoming a factor in the next phase of McGinn’s Villa career. He resale value is all but gone. He has less than two years left on his contract and his monetary worth to any interested clubs is declining by the week.

The summer of 2025 was the time to sell but you don’t sell captains like McGinn lightly. Rare is the player you’d rather lose on a free just to eke out every possible moment with him at the club. McGinn is that rare player.

Replacing McGinn on the pitch, in the dressing room and in the fabric of our football club is going to be Roberto Olabe‘s biggest test.

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