Aidan Borland Praise for Aston Villa Captain John McGinn
Aidan Borland has praised John McGinn as the finest role model he could hope for at Aston Villa, crediting the captain for the support he gave once the teenager broke into senior football.
The 19 year old defensive midfielder is on loan at Accrington Stanley this season, his second successive loan spell after a year at Swindon Town.
The Aidan Borland John McGinn story has become a small but telling detail for Villa supporters. It shows how far the captain’s influence reaches, well beyond the first team dressing room and into the academy sides that feed it.
No better role model than McGinn
Speaking in an interview with the Birmingham Mail, Borland described exactly how McGinn reached out to him after his move to Villa. He said the Scotland captain gave him his phone number and checked in with him regularly.
“No, it’s been great ever since I went down. He’s looked after me and looked out for me on the training pitch and gave me his number to reach out if I ever needed anything on and off the pitch. So there’s no better role model than the captain of your country.”
“Also being the captain of your club, as someone to look up to and obviously helps as well having boys through the academy that I’ve known from a young age, being Scottish players as well. So it definitely helps you settle in.”
Villa academy manager Mark Harrison offered his own assessment of Borland when the midfielder first signed for the club. Harrison pointed to his composure on the ball as the standout quality that convinced staff to pursue the deal.
“Aidan is very dynamic and can manage the ball effectively. We are very pleased Aidan has joined us, as we know there was a lot of interest in him. The staff are very much looking forward to working with him and helping him develop into a future first-team footballer.”
Another loan at Accrington Stanley for development
Borland’s route to Villa Park ran through the Celtic youth system, and his Scottish background has clearly shaped how quickly he settled once he arrived in the Midlands. Having Scottish teammates already at the club, alongside a captain from the same country, gave him a familiar reference point during a big step up in level.
That grounding matters for a player still working out where he fits. The Aidan Borland John McGinn dynamic reflects a wider habit at Villa, where senior players are encouraged to take an interest in the academy graduates coming through behind them, rather than leaving that job to coaching staff alone.
His current loan at Accrington Stanley follows last season’s spell at Swindon Town, giving Borland back to back years of first team football away from Bodymoor Heath. Each move has been designed to build his experience as a defensive midfielder capable of managing games under pressure.
Upcoming Fixtures and Progression Timeline for Borland
Borland remains at Accrington Stanley for the current campaign, continuing to gain minutes outside the Villa first team. His focus stays on developing the qualities Harrison identified at the point of signing, particularly his ability to control possession from a deep midfield role.
The plan for Borland now is straightforward. He needs to keep playing senior football, keep learning, and lean on the kind of guidance McGinn has already provided.
McGinn has been in the headlines with Scotland recently as well. He was sent off early during a recent international appearance, as detailed in our McGinn suffers Scotland nightmare after early red card. It stands as another reminder that his influence with Villa’s young players stretches well beyond his own performances on the pitch.
