Captain John McGinn confessed a feeling of pride in his Aston Villa team-mates, after they bowed out of the Champions League with a narrow aggregate defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, and falling 5-1 behind on aggregate inside half an hour at Villa Park, Unai Emery’s side showed tremendous character to win 3-2 on the night and push the Parisians all the way to the final whistle.
Scorer of a brilliant second goal for the Villans in B6, McGinn felt the team did their supporters proud against PSG, and is determined to ensure they can deliver more Champions League nights at Villa Park.
Speaking on his emotions post-match, the Scot said: “Instantly, after the game, it’s disappointment. You come so, so close to getting to extra-time, with a chance to get into the semi-final.
“But, forgetting that, just pride, really. Proud of the boys. Tonight, I think if you’re an Aston Villa fan, going home, you’re proud.
“I’m proud as the captain, proud to lead the boys out, and next year we want more. Nights like this are what this club deserves, and we showed tonight we can compete at this level.
“We obviously don’t want to be proud of being out of the competition. We don’t want to be proud of losing over two legs, but certainly, if you can look at each guy in the dressing room, we’re proud of what we’ve done tonight.”
B6 played host to another breathtaking European spectacle, with the Villa captain admitting it’s the loudest he has ever heard Villa Park, after ending the Champions League campaign with a record of five wins and one draw on home soil.
McGinn is looking ahead to the weekend’s visit of Newcastle United, and ensuring Emery’s men can still end the season on a high.
He added: “Even though it was a loss over two legs, it’s another win. Our record here this season, again, is amazing.
“I think the fans were up for it from the first minute. We obviously went a bit flat for spell, but they didn’t give up on us.
“They knew how hard the game was, how difficult it was, and when those goals went in closely after one another, it’s the loudest I’ve ever heard it here, by far.
“Hopefully, (there are) many more nights like this to come. They’ve been with us all the way. I know it’s not easy – Paris, Southampton, then back here tonight, and they’ll be with us on Saturday.
“We’re going to need the same atmosphere. It’s going to be a really tough game on Saturday, and we can’t emphasise how important it is.”
