Aston Villa has been home to various Premier League greats over the years.
Gareth Barry would go on to make a whopping 439 appearances for the Villans, with 53 England caps even falling into the tough midfielder’s lap by the end of his long-winding and successful career.
Ashley Young also springs to mind as another top-flight veteran who used to call Villa Park home, whilst Jack Grealish is certainly one of the most entertaining stars Villa have ever had on their books in the elite division, before he was poached for an outrageous £100m by Manchester City.
James Milner is another name that might well fly under the radar in these conversations, with the ultra-reliable midfielder often thought of as a Liverpool and Manchester City staple.
Yet, it was with Villa where he really began to shine as a dependable spark in the Premier League.
Why James Milner is still a hero at Villa
Before going on to win three Premier League titles with the aforementioned Reds and the Citizens, Milner was a rising star in the top-flight, ready to be taken to that next level, after collecting 11 goals and 20 assists in total for Newcastle United.
In a Villa set-up that often saw him line up alongside even more much-loved favourites of the past in Brad Friedel and Gabriel Agbonlahor, Milner would often shine the brightest, with two standout seasons in the West Midlands pushing him on to join City.
Only missing two Premier League games across the 2008/09 and the 2009/10 seasons meant Milner became a relied-upon regular, and he had the quality to back up his hard work for the team, too.
A stunning haul of 19 goals and 25 assists in all competitions over those two campaigns lead to his Villa boss in Martin O’Neill hailing him as “sensational.”
Capable of also playing down either flank away from his central midfield duties, it’s very clear now why the Leeds-born 39-year-old has gone on to have such a well-established career at the very top, off the back of his early days at Villa, having very rarely made a blip across his 643 games and counting in the competitive division.
Still plugging away for Brighton and Hove Albion – with a penalty even put away in August – Milner must surely stand out as a glowing example to footballers trying to make it big today when it comes to ageing gracefully.
Emery arguably has his own Milner-type presence back at Villa Park now, with the star in question only getting better with age to rival their former number eight’s insane longevity.
Emery's own Milner-type player
Milner very much proved at both Anfield and the Etihad that a steady presence can go a long way, even if there were flashier figures that surrounded him.
Indeed, Emery might well have faces such as Morgan Rogers – who has been touted to be worth £100m – at his disposal, alongside feared marksman Ollie Watkins, but he knows he will always get a consistent magic out of John McGinn whenever he is chosen to don Villa claret and blue, even as the Scotsman now hits 30 years of age.
25/26
11
3 + 1
24/25
49
4 + 6
23/24
53
9 + 8
22/23
36
1 + 3
21/22
36
3 + 4
20/21
37
3 + 6
19/20
30
3 + 3
18/19
44
6 + 10
Just one glance at the table above reinforces the idea that McGinn is Mr consistent for the West Midlands outfit, much like Milner was at Villa Park, with a stunning haul of 33 goals and 41 assists next to his name for the Villans from 295 appearances, which stretches all the way back to their unfortunate Championship days.
He has always received warm praise for his memorable contributions, too, with his ex-Villa boss in Dean Smith, hailing him as a “driving force” for the side all the way back in 2021, while forgotten former manager Steve Bruce also lauded him as a “hero” from the minute he arrived in Birmingham.
Those words still very much ring true, even as McGinn enters the arguable twilight years of his career, with the Glaswegian already three goals and one assist down this campaign, which included this fierce strike breaking a Europa League deadlock against Bologna.
Time will only tell if the Villans captain will still be plying his trade in the Premier League come his 39th birthday, but it’s clear right now that he is as beloved as Milner was at Villa Park, for being another adaptable presence always ready to give his all.