John McGinn enjoyed being captain of Aston Villa to his credit.
Aston Villa captain John McGinn called their triumph in the Europa League final the proudest night of their careers after they ended a 30-year wait for a major trophy with a 3-0 win over Freiburg.
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With no trophies since their victory in the EFL Cup final against Leeds United in 1996, Astin Villa confirmed their status as favourites in Istanbul as they secured their first European trophy since 1982 in style.
The first half was cautious for long periods, as Freiburg managed to frustrate Villa, until Youri Tielemans broke the deadlock with a fantastic volley after a brilliantly crafted set piece in the 41st minute.
Seven minutes later, Emi Buendia doubled the lead with the last kick of the first half, when he sensationally found the top left corner with a brilliant curling shot from long range.
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Emi Buendia celebrates his goal for Aston Villa in the Europa League final
Morgan Rogers essentially put the game beyond doubt with a far less spectacular effort from Buendia’s low near-post delivery, leaving McGinn, whose previous honours came in the Scottish League Cup with St Mirren in 2012-13 and the Scottish Cup with Hibernian in 2015-16, to bask in his greatest achievement in club football.
“I honestly can’t believe it,” McGinn told TNT Sports. “What we’ve been through as a club, this club was close to being in a really bad situation seven years ago [when Villa were promoted back to the Premier League via the play-offs].
“V Sports bought the club over. Their only task was to get it back to the Premier League and back to the level of before.
“Tonight, everything we built together arrived. The pride I felt with ten minutes left, knowing that we were about to become champions – I can’t describe it.
Aston Villa celebrate Youri Tielemans’ goal in Europa League final
“We started well. I’m biased, but we have a great standard coach in Austin MacPhee. We tried to fool around a bit with the set-piece. We did it against Liverpool at the weekend. Youri has good quality to find the target. It would have been over the bar if it were me!”
Asked what it means to win the trophy, McGinn replied: “It means a lot. As a kid, I remember Celtic in 2003 [the UEFA Cup final]. It wasn’t a good night for them, but it was special.
“I was lucky enough to go to the final [between Espanyol and Sevilla] at Hampden in 2007. To be here, in 2026, as captain of Aston Villa is incredible. It’s the proudest night of my career.
“I’m going to try to enjoy it. I like to party, but I take it easy and try to soak it up.
“As a 31-year-old, in my first European final, I’ve seen my mates [Jack] Grealish and [Andy] Robertson win. It’s my turn. It’s so special, I want to cherish every minute.”
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