Inside John McGinn's Aston Villa turnaround as lows of spear through the leg contrast with Premier League comeback

Little over a year ago Paul McGinn was putting a reassuring arm round kid brother John as he felt the heat in the Premier League pressure cooker with Aston Villa.

Twelve months on and he’s suddenly having to cool talk that the Scotland ace is a contender to be crowned the best player in the EPL. It’s been a stunning turnaround for the youngest member of the McGinn footballing clan who has captained Unai Emery’s Villa side to second spot in the Premier League at the midway stage of the season and into the last 16 of the Europa Conference League.

As another European Championships finals draws closer over the horizon with Scotland this summer the 29-year-old is living the dream. McGinn’s performances have even seen the midfielder tipped by former Villa and England keeper David James to become the first Scottish winner of the English top flight’s player of the year award since Kenny Dalglish in 1983.

Big brother Paul, 33, could hardly be more proud. But the Motherwell defender knows there’s no chance of John getting carried away. He said: “I think John would need to win the league to get that player of the year award.

"I suppose they're not far away from that - but it is a big ask. You need a bit of luck injury-wise as well but he is having a dream season.

"It just goes to show you in football how much things change. A little over a year ago people were saying he wasn't playing very well. I said to him at that point 'John, it's just football'.

“He'll probably get written off again soon and it's sad but that's just football. Sadly you're only as good as your last game to some people and that's the way it goes. I'm just glad to see him doing so well, leading that team and Scotland."

Dealing with supporter’s fluctuating