Jaden Philogene has revealed that a conversation with Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was key in his return to the club from Hull City this summer.
The 22-year-old departed last year to join the Championship side, and went on to score 12 goals and provide six assists in 32 appearances.
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That built on his impressive displays for us in pre-season last summer, and even at that stage it was felt that he was ready, and capable, of making an important contribution for us.
However, the decision was ultimately made to sell him, but with key clauses included in the agreement with Hull which has given us the opportunity to bring him back, and he’s now relishing the chance to impress in a Villa shirt.
Interestingly, Philogene also provided insight into his conversation with Emery, and it certainly sounds as though the intention is to give the talented youngster playing time as he has seemingly been given assurances on that, with Villa looking to compete on multiple fronts this season and in need of squad depth and competition for places.
“It feels amazing, it’s like I’m back at home,” he told VillaTV. “Unai spoke to me face-to-face and we had a very good conversation about my playing time. He said I did well when I was here in pre-season last year and that I’m going to get chances this time. It also depends on me and how I play.
“It’s the latest chapter in my Villa journey and hopefully I can play my best, get game time and do it in front of the fans. What I did at Hull, I want to do the same things at Villa Park; make the fans aware of my skills and score goals.
“It’s a dream come true. When I was a little boy I wanted to play in the Champions League. I’ve always thought I want to be there one day and here I am.”
With Emiliano Buendia, Jacob Ramsey, Morgan Rogers and Leon Bailey all vying for a starting berth behind Ollie Watkins in the final third in the Villa XI this season, coupled with the ability of the likes of John McGinn and Youri Tielemans to play further up the pitch, we look like we’ve now got healthy squad depth and versatility that is needed to compete at the top level.
In turn, Philogene will still have to work hard to earn his playing time and displace others, but on the face of it, it does appear as though he is more likely to be rotated in and given chances to earn more playing time as a gruelling campaign develops, while there is also the unknown of injuries and suspensions.
Further, it remains to be seen if there is any further movement in the transfer market from Villa amid ongoing intense speculation over the future of Moussa Diaby, and so should he leave, time will tell if Emery wants to replace the Frenchman or if he is confident in the options he now has at his disposal.
For Philogene though, it’s an exciting opportunity to be back and to be pushing for a crucial role, and it will be exciting to see him reintegrate over pre-season and try and impress in the coming weeks having now earned his return to Villa.
