Aston Villa loanee Aidan Borland has credited club captain John McGinn with providing key support to help him settle into life at Accrington Stanley. The 19-year-old midfielder, who is spending the season on loan with the League Two side, revealed the Scotland skipper proactively offered his personal contact details to be available for guidance on and off the pitch. Borland described the senior professional, a key figure in Unai Emery's squad, as the perfect role model.
"So there’s no better role model than the captain of your club," Borland said in an interview with the club's media. The young midfielder is aiming to use his time at Accrington as a springboard into first-team contention at Villa Park, following a previous loan at Swindon Town last season.
Borland has already captained Aston Villa's under-21s and was part of the side that lifted the FA Youth Cup last year, defeating Manchester City in the final. He also pointed to former youth teammate George Hemmings, now featuring for Nottingham Forest's first team after a successful loan at Notts County, as an example of a player who has successfully made the step up. His development at Accrington comes as the club handles a difficult start to the League Two season, currently sitting 19th in the standings with seven points from eight matches.
Their most recent outing was a 1-1 draw away at Swindon Town, where Josh Woods opened the scoring for Stanley. Borland continues his loan at the Wham Stadium, with the team's next test a home match against high-flying Cheltenham Town this Saturday. Cheltenham currently sit second in the table, presenting a significant challenge as Accrington look to improve their form. The young Scot will be hoping to build on his early experiences and contribute to his loan side climbing the standings from their present position.
This story first appeared at OneFootball
