Aston Villa’s John McGinn and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk have impressed Hibernian manager Neil Lennon.
McGinn was superb for Villa in their 2-2 draw with Brentford at Villa Park in the Championship on Wednesday evening.
The 23-year-old was crucial in the Villans picking up a point from the encounter, as the Scotland international continued his great run of form for Steve Bruce’s side.
The midfielder moved to Villa from Hibernian in the summer transfer window for a fee reported by The Times to be worth £2.75 million, and Hibs manager Lennon has praised him.
Lennon has also been impressed with the displays produced by Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, whom the former Bolton Wanderers manager signed for Celtic in 2013 when he was in charge of the Hoops.
“I’m watching McGinn the other night full of admiration for him, he was brilliant,” Lennon told Capital City Press. “It was a great game and a really good advert for the club; they brought this player in and developed him under Stubbsy and myself and he turned out to be a really fine footballer.
“I believe the fans have really taken to him down there as well. I’m delighted for him. Do I take pride in seeing past players doing well? Of course, I sit and watch the likes of Van Dijk, smoking a big cigar!
“I take a huge amount of enjoyment from knowing that you’ve worked with them, you’ve brought them through, even found them.”
Strong start
McGinn has made a strong start to his career at Villa, and the 23-year-old has already established himself as an important player for the Villans.
The Scotland international midfielder has provided two assists in three Championship appearances for Villa so far this season, according to WhoScored.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
