John McGinn trolls Birmingham City fans with Matt Targett message after Middlesbrough heroics
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Credit: Imago John McGinn trolls Birmingham City fans with Matt Targett message after Middlesbrough heroics Tue 3 March 2026 16:18, UK Aston Villa star John McGinn has taken to social media to troll Birmingham City after former teammate Matt Targett scored a brace for Middlesbrough at St Andrew’s. Middlesbrough faced Birmingham in the Second City on Monday night as both clubs aimed to bolster their respective Championship promotion hopes.The hosts may have fancied themselves for an upset after a strong start, but former Villa star Targett bagged the opener for Boro in the 13th minute after a rare foray forward from left-back.He then netted his brace just before the half-hour mark, as Kim Hellberg’s side went on to win 3-1 and move four points ahead of third-placed Hull City.Aston Villa fans were wowed by Targett’s exploits as they took to social media, and their captain McGinn could also not help but celebrate against the club’s arch-rivals.
Premier League • Live Table • Champions League • Form Official Feed MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES John McGinn sends message to Matt Targett as Birmingham fans fumeTargett spent three years at Villa after joining from Southampton in 2019, and he played 89 times for the club prior to moving to Newcastle in 2022.Nearly four years on and he finds himself on loan at Middlesbrough after falling out of favour on Tyneside, and he has now scored four goals and notched three assists in 33 appearances this season.Targett played 73 games alongside McGinn for the Villans, after they joined the club in the same summer, and the Scotland midfielder took the opportunity to congratulate his friend after his brace at St Andrew’s.After the left-back celebrated his goals by shushing the Birmingham fans and gesturing for them to calm down, McGinn took to his Instagram story to say: “Hahaha tigsy, what a guy, what a cele (celebration),” with numerous laughing emojis.McGinn has recent history of being outspoken on social mediaHe certainly wears his heart on his sleeve as a player, and McGinn known to be a real character both on and off the pitch.McGinn slammed Scottish officials and mocked their use of VAR after referee John Beaton sent Motherwell‘s Liam Gordon sent off for a tackle on Toyosi Olusanya in their cup clash at Pittodrie.He poked fun at the camera angle used by VAR to decide the red card, writing: “I’ve sent you to the screen, let’s send you to an angle from the North Sea to back it up,” as well as: “Scottish var is a mess,” in a separate post.The 31-year-old is clearly not scared of backlash on social media, which he may well be in for with Blues fans after celebrating Targett’s Boro exploits. Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Aston Villa Insider Access Get the full story from Villa Park and Bodymoor Heath with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of B6.