'Best buy of the season' - Exclusive: Whelan in awe of Aston Villa player
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'Best buy of the season' - Exclusive: Whelan in awe of Aston Villa player

Wayne Veysey
Wayne Veysey

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

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EXCLUSIVE

Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn has been hailed as the "best buy of the season" by Noel Whelan.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Leeds United and Coventry City striker has been blown away by the impact made by the Scotland international throughout Villa's campaign.

The Midlands giants beat McGinn's boyhood club Celtic to recruit him last summer for a fee of around £3million and he has been one of the outstanding players in the Championship as well as instrumental in his side's remarkable run of eight consecutive wins.

Whelan has scored six goals and supplied 10 assists from his central midfield berth in 37 league appearances to provide outstanding value for money.

"I would say he's the best buy of the season," Whelan exclusively told Football Insider. "He has been fantastic in the midfield area for Villa, not only scoring and creating goals, but also with his passing, awareness and work rate.

"Jack Grealish has made a huge impact since his return from injury and is the biggest name at Villa, but McGinn has been doing it all season long and was playing well even when the side were struggling and the crowd was getting on the players' back. I've been so impressed by him."

McGinn played the full 90 minutes on Saturday as Villa cemented fifth place in the league as they lifted their points hauls to 69 from 42 matches, which gives them a five-point buffer from Middlesbrough in seventh place.

Automatic promotion is mathematically beyond Smith's side, with second placed Leeds United winning on Saturday evening to climb to 82 points and out of reach for the Villains.

In other Aston Villa news, it can be the REVEALED that the club are readying a £30million move for a Villa player after jetting in for a transfer mission.

Aston Villa
John McGinn
www.footballinsider247.com