Scotland hero scores first Champions League goal on return from injury after manager's boot up the backside
John McGinn was told to up his game by Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on his return from injury and responded by netting his first ever Champions League goal in the 2-0 win over Bologna.
The Scotland midfielder has been out of action for the best part of a month after suffering a hamstring strain during Villa’s 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on September 21.
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Hide AdThe injury meant the Villa captain missed out on the recent international double-header against Croatia and Portugal while he also sat out his side's momentous 1-0 European win over Bayern Munich three weeks ago.
The 30-year-old returned off the bench with a late second half appearance during the weekend win at Fulham and was restored to the starting line-up for the Champions League match against Serie A outfit Bologna at Villa Park on Tuesday night.


And he capped his comeback by netting the opening goal 10 minutes after half-time with a sublime left-footed free-kick delivery from the right touchline which was intended as a cross but sailed straight into the net at the far post beyond goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski.
Jhon Duran sealed victory for the hosts with a second on 64 minutes as Villa made it three wins from three in the Champions League to sit top of the newly revamped table ahead of Wednesday's fixture card.
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Hide Ad“It is amazing,” said the Scotland international, speaking to TNT Sports on the pitch immediately after full-time. Obviously I missed out on the last night here at Villa Park but three games in, three wins and most important for us is no goals conceded.
“We don't want to stop here. It puts us in a great position. Some players came back and now we look really strong. What we are building here is amazing. This is home for me. It is my seventh season here, we've had ups and downs. It has been a rollercoaster. Hopefully we can keep climbing.”
McGinn's goal-scoring return from injury will come as a timely boost to Scotland head coach Steve Clarke ahead of next month's Nations League fixtures at home to Croatia and away to Poland which bring the Group A1 campaign to a close.
It was also the perfect response from the ex-St Mirren and Hibs man to a boot up the backside from Emery as McGinn revealed he had been given a dressing down by the Spanish head coach ahead of his return to action.
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Hide Ad"He’s [Emery] so intense," the 71-times capped midfielder explained a few weeks ago. "He called me in and said ‘you were very poor against Wolves, you need to improve when you're back or you'll be out'. I thought he was having a nice chat with me!"
Asked about McGinn ahead of Villa's trip to Fulham, Emery said: "After three weeks he started training with us and he is feeling good, progressively getting better. Of course, we pushed him and now we want the response off him.
"He is amazing as a person and as a professional in the dressing room with his teammates. For me as well as a captain and a person. I appreciate him. I love him a lot!
"Then, I want the best of him because the best of him is for the best of me as well. He is aware now that he wasn’t playing with the performance we wanted and he is now going to come back stronger than before he had the injury."
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