ASTON VILLA v SOUTHAMPTON MCGINN HID ANGUISH OVER ANKLE SETBACK

Villa Park: Tomorrow, 12 noon

DAVE ARMITAGE

ASTON VILLA boss Dean Smith has revealed why John Mcginn has been his miracle man.

Smith says his inspirational midfielder (above) unselfishly put his reputation on the line to help save the Villans from the drop.

The Scotland skipper goes into today’s home clash against Southampton back to his best, after a fractured ankle nightmare ghtmare in the corresponding ing game last season.

Mcginn was injured against Saints in this fixture just before Christmas and was s ruled out for the rest of the season.

The lockdown delay meant he returned to play a key part in Villa’s miracle escape, but only by hiding his secret injury anguish.

Mcginn was sent reeling as he went through rehab, a scan revealing the injury hadn’t fully healed.

The 26-year-old played Villa’s last 10 games trying to get match fit on the hoof, and Smith said: “He was very low. All that hard work he’d put in and he was back to the start.

“It was remarkable he played the last 10 games. John knew he wasn’t 100 per cent. But the only way we could get him back to full match fitness was to play games.

“There were performances where he didn’t look quite like the same John Mcginn we’d seen, but we expected that.

“He’s a strong character and had to be when he didn’t play as well as he knows he can. I knew he was getting better, but I also knew he was trying to make run runs he’d have mad made easily before th the injury.

“But he’s showing now, for both club and country, what a g good player he is.” M Mcginn will be right in the heart of things against Saints, as Villa try to bounce back from the disappointing 3-0 home defeat against Leeds.

Smith’s men blew their big chance to go top after a four-game winning start to the new campaign.

Smith (above) added: “We’re not at that Liverpool or Man City level here. There’s a realisation of that.

“Leeds were very good and exploited us. They showed us that if you’re not on it, you get punished.”

“Our confidence was high, but we tried to go toe-to-toe with them.”