It was a special night for John McGinn on Thursday, as the Aston Villa captain came off the bench to make his 300th appearance for the club during their 2-0 Europa League win over Maccabi Tel Aviv. The moment came just after Softfootball recently confirmed that he penned a new deal to stay at Villa Park until 2028, something that felt almost meant to be.
McGinn replaced Jadon Sancho in the 75th minute, and that brief cameo was enough to put him in the record books once again. Since making his debut back in August 2018, the Scottish midfielder has now played more matches than any other Villa player in that time—overtaking Ezri Konsa, who’s next in line with 251 appearances. Not bad for someone who once arrived from Hibs with a bit to prove.
The win also gave Unai Emery another milestone of his own, his 15th home European victory as Villa boss, and, quite fittingly, exactly three years since his first match in charge. The atmosphere inside Villa Park might not have been perfect, though. Due to rising tension before kick-off, police had to deal with protests around the ground, leading to 11 arrests and over 700 officers being deployed. In the end, no Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were allowed to attend for safety reasons.
The club took time to celebrate this new milestone by John Mcginn via the club’s official X account and also gave fans the chance to win a free signed shirt
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Still, on the pitch, it was Villa doing what they’ve done best lately: composed, confident, and quietly efficient. For McGinn, it wasn’t just another number on the stat sheet. Three hundred games later, he’s still the same fiery, tireless figure who gives everything every week. Maybe not always flashy, sometimes even scrappy, but always there when Villa needs him the most. And honestly, that’s exactly why the fans love him so much.
