Scotland midfielder John McGinn has opened up about the impact of Unai Emery on his career.

The Spaniard took over as Aston Villa coach midway through last season.

Taking the job from Steven Gerrard when Villa were in relegation trouble, Emery led them to European qualification through the league.

McGinn admits that Emery helped him do things he didn't think he could do.

“I'm close to 29 and I'm absolutely devastated by that!" stated McGinn about continuing to improve but also getting older.

"When the number three gets associated with you in football, you are one year away from being finished! Next week I'm 29 but I'm learning all the time and I am very fortunate to not only learn off brilliant staff but team-mates as well, looking at how the French and Spanish boys operate. I am learning off them.

“I can't thank the manager enough for the help he's given me on a daily basis. It's a lot of hard work, it's intense but I'm so fortunate to have come into his path. He's teaching me things I didn't think I was capable of. It's a different style of play, taking more touches on the ball, seeing the game differently. It's bringing me on and I still think I have more to offer and if I can bring that to Scotland then it will be beneficial to both myself and the team.

“I feel as if I have so much more to offer. I look at the likes of Ashley Young still playing, I see how simple he keeps things and how he just keeps churning out the games and that makes me feel a lot better about getting older.

“I feel as if I have 10 more years in me. My aim is to be playing in my old age, the same as big Christian Dailly was! And I remember watching big Davie Weir. He seemed like the kind of guy who was learning about the game as he was playing. And when he got to the latter stages of his career, he wasn't the quickest or the sharpest but he still had it upstairs and he was a step in front of everyone he played against. People like that are inspirational. Hopefully I can be the same."