Aston Villa youngster Aidan Borland has highlighted the key mentorship of club captain John McGinn during his loan spell at Accrington Stanley. The 19-year-old defensive midfielder says the Scotland vice-captain has looked after him both on the training pitch and away from it, offering his phone number for support.
Borland, a former Celtic youth product, is on his second successive loan after a stint at Swindon Town last season. He featured in some of Villa's pre-season games, with academy staff seeing first-team potential in his dynamic style and ball management. Academy manager Mark Harrison noted there was significant interest in Borland when he joined Villa and that staff are focused on developing him into a future first-team player.
FA Youth Cup success
Borland played the full 90 minutes in Aston Villa's 3-1 FA Youth Cup final victory over Manchester City in 2025. He views that experience as a potential pathway into Unai Emery's senior squad. While Borland gains experience on loan, fellow academy graduate George Hemmings has broken through this season, featuring in Premier League and Champions League squads, illustrating different progression routes within the club.
The club's immediate focus is on improving its league position, currently sitting 16th with four points from five games. They face a tough test next, hosting fourth-placed Brentford on 10 October. Fans can track the team's progress and upcoming schedule on the club's fixtures and standings pages. Borland's development under McGinn's wing is a positive note as Villa look to integrate more academy talent while handling the Premier League season.
This story first appeared at Daily Record Football
