Aston Villa defender Ludwig Augustinsson has revealed why he jumped at the chance of joining us after completing a season-long loan deal from Sevilla.
The 28-year-old has now linked up with his new teammates in Australia as we continue our pre-season work Down Under, and he’ll hope to impress Steven Gerrard having now arrived to provide depth and competition at left-back for Lucas Digne.
READ MORE: Confirmed Aston Villa squad for Australia pre-season tour
With experience at a high level both at club and international level, Augustinsson appears to be a savvy signing from Villa to ensure we have players fighting for positions across the pitch, and he’ll no doubt have bigger aspirations during his time in Birmingham than be a back-up option.
For now, he’s delighted to make the move to the Premier League, and he revealed what made him decide to leave Sevilla on a temporary basis to join Villa.
Augustinsson on Villa move
“I’m feeling very happy, it’s a very big club and very traditional in England,” he told VillaTV. “I’m very happy to be here and I’ve had a very good welcome from everyone.”
“I followed the Premier League for many, many years. It’s always been a target and a dream from when I was a kid.
“When the opportunity came up, I said to my agent ‘let’s do this’. I had a good chat with the gaffer and Johan (Lange) and I really felt that this club is going in the right direction.
“It’s a really good squad. It’s a big club with really good fans. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Augustinsson also links up with some familiar faces having previously played with Robin Olsen and Diego Carlos, and they’ll no doubt help him settle in his new surroundings and squad in the coming days.
Gerrard does also have Ashley Young at his disposal to play at left-back if needed, while his new loan signing perhaps indicates that youngster Ben Chrisene could be loaned out to gain valuable experience and regular playing time elsewhere ahead of returning next year and pushing for a bigger role.
For now though, they’re all in Australia and they’ll be looking to impress the Villa boss with a view of being in contention for our season opener against Bournemouth next month.
