The promoted clubs find themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League after seven matches, but all three have shown that they will be competitive in the top flight. Sheffield United have made the brightest start – they are up in 12th place, just a point below Manchester United – while Norwich City and Aston Villa are sitting in 17th and 18th, either side of the relegation line, as they prepare to meet at Carrow Road on Saturday.

A number of players have impressed for the Blades and Canaries, but Villa have been much more reliant on the performances of a single player. Before the season began, most football fans would have expected that player to be Jack Grealish, whose return from injury last season inspired Villa to a historic 10-match winning streak. The academy graduate was the heartbeat of the side’s sprint to promotion, but the team’s other midfielder, John McGinn, was the star in the play-off final against Derby, scoring the winning goal and picking up the man of the match award at Wembley.

“Super” John joined “Super” Jack at Villa in the summer of 2018 and fans quickly fell head over heels. The former Hibs man is the sort of player who is impossible not to love and the perfect embodiment of what people mean when they speak about a player being a “dream” for a manager. He almost literally runs himself into the ground; his unnatural running style is instantly recognisable, with the 24-year old seemingly getting closer and closer to the turf with every endless yard he travels. Yet he somehow stays on his feet, even when under pressure, and almost always alleviates any pressure his side are facing.

McGinn doesn’t look like a modern footballer, nor does he care. The Scotland international is more than happy to poke fun at his teammates and himself. He has won over the Villa fanbase and the dressing room as a result, building a close friendship with the Grealish, who certainly fits the mould of the image-conscious Premier League player.

McGinn, in contrast to his elegant midfield partner, is a hunched ball of energy whose sheer determination on the pitch has earned him a place among the elite. He has stepped up to the Premier League comfortably. McGinn scored his third goal of the season in Villa’s 2-2 draw against Burnley last Saturday, making him the club’s top joint scorer in the league so far.

It was the third time this season that Villa have dropped points from a winning position and McGinn has scored in all three of those games. He will be delighted with his own start to the campaign, even if his performances have not yet been rewarded by results. He was Villa’s standout players against Burnley, picking up his fourth man of the match award in the club’s seven league games so far this season. For context, no other player in the league has won more than two man of the match awards.

When Villa are lacking ideas – which has happened more often than Dean Smith would have liked this season – McGinn will fire off a shot from distance or embark on a burrowing run that gets the fans off their feet and behind the team. He is a unifying figure who brings the players and supporters together at Villa Park.

At a time when specialist roles have become prominent in midfield, McGinn is a welcome throwback. He does everything and, even if he does not look the most cultured, his effectiveness cannot be questioned. He has taken more shots (21), made more tackles (23) and completed more dribbles (16) than any of his teammates. Those statistics stand up across the league; he ranks sixth for shots, 10th for tackles and 11th for dribbles in the entire division. On top of that, only Grealish (28) and Wilfried Zaha (24) have been fouled more times than McGinn (23).

Such busy, complete performances will not go unnoticed. There were tentative links with Manchester United over the summer, which were laughed off by some at the time but look increasingly logical now. Brendan Rodgers is also a big fan, having been desperate to sign the midfielder when he was Celtic manager. It was reported at the time that Celtic would not stump up an asking price in the region of £2m. Their loss was Villa’s gain. As far as Villa are concerned, McGinn is the signing of the century so far. He scored the goal that took the club back to the Premier League and his ability to impact games will be crucial if they are to stay there.

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