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Steve Bruce says Aston Villa’s John McGinn good enough for Manchester United

Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
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Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce worked with John McGinn at Aston Villa, and suggests that he is good enough for Manchester United.

Newcastle United Head Coach Steve Bruce during the Newcastle United Training Session at the Newcastle United Training Centre on November 21, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has explained to The Scottish Sun how he managed to sign John McGinn for Aston Villa before Celtic did.

Bruce has also suggested that the 25-year-old Scotland international midfielder is good enough to play for Manchester United.

According to The Scottish Sun, Villa signed McGinn from Hibernian in the summer of 2018 for £3 million.

The Sun reported in June 2019 that Premier League and European giants United were looking at the possibility of signing McGinn, with Villa valuing him at £50 million.

Bruce, now the Newcastle manager, was in charge of Villa from October 2016 until October 2018.

Bruce told The Scottish Sun: “Given their financial plight at the time, Villa didn’t have £3m. How we got him out of a move to Celtic I don’t really know because his grandfather Jack was Celtic’s former chairman.

“We stuck at it because we knew how good John was and it took a couple of rounds of golf at The Belfry with his dad until we could muster the money together. I didn’t mind paying for those.”

The Newcastle boss added: “John’s at the level of a big club like Manchester United. I’m delighted for him because he is a smashing lad.

“Given what he’s done in the past 12 months I can only see him continuing to improve.”

Stats

According to WhoScored, McGinn has scored three goals and provided two assists in 12 Premier League appearances for Villa so far this season.

During the 2018-19 campaign, the Scottish midfielder made 42 starts and one substitute appearance in the Championship for the Villans, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in the process, according to WhoScored.

John McGinn celebrates after scoring Scotland's third goal during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier between Scotland and Kazakhstan at Hampden Park on November 19, 2019 in Glasgow, Scotland.