John McGinn has referenced Celtic's Seville heartache after lifting the Europa League.
The Scotland hero warmed up for the World Cup by captaining Aston Villa to European triumph as they thumped Freiburg 3-0 in Istanbul, goals coming from Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers.
It was a special night for the former St Mirren and Hibs midfielder and the proudest moment of his career.
And the boyhood Celtic fan has an early reference of what a European trophy means after feeling the pain of losing out to Porto in 2003.
He said: "It means a lot. As a kid growing up, I can remember, it wasn’t a great night for Celtic, but that night in Seville in 2003, I thought ‘wow, that’s special.’ I was lucky enough to go to the 2007 UEFA Cup final at Hampden, so to be here in 2026 as captain of Aston Villa is incredible.
Read more
I was Callum Osmand's youth coach, this is why he's built for lasting Celtic impactInside Celtic’s wildest title win: Overcoming player upset, drama & 33 chaotic days
"It’s the proudest moment and night of my career so far. I’m going to try and enjoy it. I like to party sometimes but tonight I’ll try and take it easy, soak it all in.
"For me, being 31, my first European final, I watched my mates win trophies, Andy Robertson and Jack Grealish, so it’s my turn. Maybe not the big one they’ve won, but, to me, it’s so, so special. I’ll cherish every minute."
McGinn also joked he hoped Villa fan Prince William would be getting his credit card out for the celebrations.
He added: "Hopefully Prince William is paying for the free bar. He was in dressing room before the game. He is a massive Aston Villa fan, he was never going to miss it.
"He's just a normal guy, it's great to have his support. Hopefully he can have a couple of drinks with us and maybe get his credit card out!
