Derby County must still have John McGinn regret after Aston Villa success: View | OneFootball

Back in 2018, Derby County were linked with the signing of John McGinn from Hibs, and must now have regret that they didn't make the move happen.

Football is littered with 'what if' moments and regrets, and, having seen the player he's blossomed into and his subsequent success at Aston Villa, Derby County will wish they'd followed through with their 2018 interest in midfielder John McGinn, then of Scottish top-flight Hibernian, and brought him to Pride Park.

McGinn, now 29-years-old, began his career with St Mirren in 2012, before moving to Edinburgh to join Hibs in 2015, with the all-action midfield player spending the next three seasons at Easter Road, and his impressive, consistent performances drawing interest from notable clubs both north and south of the border.

After nearly 250 appearances in Scotland's top-flight for St Mirren and Hibernian combined, Derbyshire Live reported Glasgow giants Celtic and the Rams headed the chase for a 23-year-old McGinn valued at around £3m at the time.

Speaking to the Derby Telegraph while still a Hibernian player in 2018, McGinn said: "I'm ambitious. I want to go and test myself at a higher level. However, it would have to be something better than Hibs. I don't take it for granted, being here, I love it."

The effervescent midfielder would move that summer, however, but not to either Celtic or Derby. Instead, the Glaswegian joined Aston Villa, then of the Championship, and the Scotland international has gone from strength to strength since.

£3m fee paid by Aston Villa was an absolute steal

Birmingham Mail reported that Villa paid around £3m to secure McGinns' services ahead of the 2018/19 second-tier campaign.

Brought in by then boss Steve Bruce, the Scotsman instantly looked at home in a claret and blue shirt, and though there have been highs and lows during his six-year stay at Villa Park so far, McGinn, now captain of the side flourishing under Spaniard Unai Emery, is regarded as a fantastic piece of business.

Those aforementioned highs include that wonderful volleyed goal at the Holte End against Sheffield Wednesday, promotion, via the play-offs, to the Premier League in 2019, Villa's continued growth into one of the country's top sides, and qualification for this season's Champions League.

The dynamic 29-year-old has also become a key figure for his national team, earning 69 caps overall and being part of Scotland squads that took part in Euro 2020 and Euro 2024. For just £3m, McGinn surely has to be one of Aston Villa's better value-for-money signings in the modern era.

McGinn haunted Derby on the biggest stage

As fate would have it, McGinn and Aston Villa would face Derby in the 2018/19 Championship play-off final at Wembley, and the Scotsman, who'd scored against the Rams in the regular season, would come back to haunt them once more on the biggest stage.

After Anwar El Ghazi had put Villa 1-0 up at the break, McGinn added that crucial second on the hour mark, and while Jack Marriott pulled a goal back late on for Derby, it wasn't enough on the day.

McGinn's dominant midfield display earned him the Man of the Match award for a Villa side that have continued to progress. The engine room leader has evolved on a personal level too, and looks comfortably at home in the upper reaches of the English top-flight.

However, his obvious development and success has left Derby fans casting envious glances at the Birmingham-based club, wondering what might have been.