VILLAN OF THE PIECE
Legend Evans hails impact of John at old club
JOHN McGINN famously wowed Gordon Strachan when he helped Scotland kids lift kit.
But Aston Villa legend Allan Evans reckons the midfield ace’s stock will soar to another level after carrying his old club to Premier League safety.
The former Hibs star is being hailed in the Midlands after returning from six months out with a broken leg to help drag his side out of the drop zone with a final-day 1-1 draw with West Ham confirming their spot in the top flight for next term.
At one stage Villa were seven points from safety but McGinn hit peak form towards the end of term to climb out of danger and European Cup-winning hero Evans reckons the £2.5million bargain saved the season.
Evans said: “I read the story Gordon Strachan tells about John helping the Scotland Under-21 lads with their equipment after he had been called up to the senior squad.
“I loved that. It said it all about him – it just shows his upbringing.
“John has really been a saviour for Aston Villa. They were in a difficult situation and he was exactly the kind of guy they needed to get out of trouble.
“John has been a real star for the club. It was a disaster for him and Villa when he broke his leg.
“I was gutted for him. I met him one of the times I was up and he was chatting about the severity of the injury.
“He was devastated, not just for himself personally but because he wanted to help the team out.
“That’s what made the leg break so disastrous. It was tough on him but the club really needed him. No one player makes a team but it was no coincidence to me that Villa were a different side with him missing.
“He is the type of player who can make a huge difference to a side. There are not too many like him around.”
Evans, who won four Scotland caps, still keeps close tabs on Villa and reckons midfield powerhouse McGinn has won over the punters and then some because of his tartan terrier traits.
He said: “I am not sure Villa fans knew what to expect when he arrived. It wasn’t a huge amount of money and there wasn’t massive expectation.
“But they see him like an oldfashioned Scottish midfielder – he’s tigerish. He works his b ****** s off, tackles, chases and just never stops. I get back to see Villa fairly often and the fans absolutely love him.”
McGinn is a quality player but Evans feels the 25-year-old brings more to his side than just his ability to tackle and pick a pass.
He said: “John has great ability and work-rate but he’s one of the those guys players love having alongside them.
“You need people to drive a team and he does that with his enthusiasm. It’s not even about
shouting and bawling at guys. It’s about leading by example.
“Going back to my time, we had guys like Des Bremner, who played for Hibs and was in our European Cup winning side.
“He was one of those players who didn’t get the praise or the headlines he deserved.
“But every single player in that dressing room knew what he brought to the team and were more than appreciative.
“Every good side has at least one of those types.
“When you are down near the bottom of the table, you need a certain kind of character – and John has got it.”
Evans lifted the European Cup with Villa in 1982 – but suffered the pain of relegation just four years later and he admitted it was crucial for his old club to escape this time as the Championship can be a dungeon.
McGinn is a wanted man, with
Newcastle among several clubs circling, but the World Cup 82 star is hoping beating the drop will allow his former side to hang on to their star man.
Evans said: “It would have been very difficult if Villa went down. We experienced it as well. We’d won the European Cup and the Super Cup but we were relegated a few years earlier.
“We saw the last time Villa went down how hard it is to get out of the Championship and it’s just a relief they managed to avoid it this time.”