'It's mad': Scotland memory maker makes Champions League admission as he captains side to 'special' victory

Scotland hero John McGinn revealed why he believes Aston Villa are perfectly setup for more historic Champions League nights following their memorable win over Club Brugge in the last 16 on Wednesday night.

The ex-Hibs favourite skippered the side on a raucous evening at Villa Park, as three goals in 11 second-half minutes helped them sail past their Belgian counterparts 3-0 on the night (6-1 on aggregate), with Marco Asensio’s brace and a goal from Ian Maatsen sealing a momentous second-leg victory after Brugge were reduced to 10-men early on.

Their debut season in Europe’s elite competition, the game marked the club’s first last 16 game at Villa Park in over four decades, and follows significant home wins over Bayern Munich, Bologna and Celtic in the League Phase of the competition. With Paris Saint-Germain next up in the quarter-finals, McGinn warned the Ligue 1 giants that Villa are more than capable of causing a shock.

“It's mad,” McGinn told TNT Sports after full-time. “A lot of years of hard work. We let ourselves down in the first half but they're a good side. Even with 10 men they were the better side. We're lucky to have Marco to come off the bench. The second half was brilliant. We’re giving these fans experiences they’ll remember forever. We want to write our name in history and make these nights more common. It’s certainly a special night and one we’ll remember forever.

John McGinn warms up ahead of the Champions League tie between Aston Villa and Club Brugge on Wednesday. | Getty Images

"We’ve had a lot of injuries, the squad is getting stronger. We’ve still got a few gears to go up, but it doesn’t get a lot harder than PSG over two legs. I watched it [Liverpool v PSG] but you don't want to get too far ahead of yourselves. Villa, Champions League quarter-finalists. Can't ask for much more. We want to make these nights more frequent.

"It'll be good to have a bit of a break. We have a chance for Wembley in the FA Cup [against Preston North End this weekend]. We want to get back and enjoy these nights next season. What an exciting end to the season we've got. It’ll be a brilliant occasion here. But we’ve got a tough first leg and more importantly some big games before that.”

Elsewhere in the competition, Scotland teammate Kieran Tierney was handed a rare start in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven. Deployed in an unfamiliar role on the left-hand side of a front three, the match marked his first start for the Gunners since the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Crystal Palace in December.

Playing 79 minutes of the game, Tierney was paired with Mikel Merino and Raheem Sterling as the North London outfit secured a comfortable 9-3 aggregate win over the Dutch side and was praised for his performance, with TNT pundit Joe Cole saying both he and Oleksandr Zinchenko “acquitted themselves very, very well”. Mikel Arteta’s side will face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the competition after the 16-time Champions League winners squeezed past rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties.