Above a baying, swaying sea of claret and blue Jack Grealish, alongside James Chester, lifted the play-off winners’ trophy up high in the royal box but it was the Aston Villa captain’s overlooked supporting cast that propelled them to the Premier League.
None more so than John McGinn, the Glaswegian who spent the buildup to the final telling everyone there is more to Grealish than junior-size shin pads, flashy haircuts and sunbeds. By the same token that Grealish is not the Jack the lad his manager, Dean Smith, said he envisaged on taking the job in October, McGinn is so much more than just a nagging nuisance in midfield. An ubiquitous presence – the bargain of the season at £2.7m – it was fitting his goal sealed victory.
Related: Aston Villa in Premier League heaven with play-off Wembley win over Derby
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