John McGinn names the two 'underappreciated' Hibs factors as Aston Villa hero sends Easter Road home truth

John McGinn (L) and Paul Hanlon

The Aston Villa captain has spoken ahead of an emotional Hibs night.

John McGinn has told Hibs they won’t know what they had until Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson move on.

The defensive legends will play their last games at Easter Road tonight when facing Motherwell in the Premiership. Aston Villa captain McGinn played with both club heroes during his spell in Leith, in which the Scottish Cup was claimed in 2016.

Their exits come amid a backdrop of intense scrutiny on Hibs. Nick Montgomery has been sacked as manager after two defeats from three in the bottom six, while the appointment of Malky Mackay as sporting director has also divided opinion amongst fans.

McGinn has paid tribute to his former teammates on Instagram, ensuring Hibs they are two undervalued assets. He said: "Underrated, underappreciated but most importantly 2 of the best teammates you could ever dream of having. You don't realise what you have until it's gone!"

Both are out of contract in the summer, paving the way for their exits. Hanlon pre-match has admitted that he didn’t want to be moving on from Hibs, and reckons caretaker David Gray has the credentials for a top management career. He said: "This is my club, this is where I want to be.

“I still believe I’ve got a lot to offer in terms of playing and within the squad. I wanted to stay here but the club has made the decision that my contract is going to end and to move on.

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“This is his fourth stint as the interim manager so he’s had a real good schooling already. The way he is as a person, I think his characteristics fit that of a successful manager or someone who could be a successful manager.

“In terms of what he’s done at this club and the way the fans love him, I think he’s got every potential to be a top, top manager.”