Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has discussed various talking points as he prepares his side for the upcoming pre-season schedule.
Villa face Walsall this Saturday in our first pre-season outing before we move on to the tour of Australia as we gear up for the start of the new Premier League campaign which begins at Bournemouth on August 6.
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This period of preparation will be seen as crucial by Gerrard and his coaching staff as they get to work closely with the players for several weeks to try and get their ideas and philosophy across, and build on what was done following his arrival mid-way through last season.
Speaking to VillaTV, Gerrard covered some key points, five of which are detailed below.
Gerrard on Diego Carlos
With summer signing Diego Carlos reporting for his first day of pre-season this week, Gerrard was left impressed by the Brazilian as he hopes to make him a fundamental part of his Villa defence.
Competition for places is crucial for Gerrard to get the best out of his players, and Carlos will be pushing the likes of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa, and vice versa, for a starting spot in the Villa XI this season.
“He’s really looking forward to the challenge. He wanted to come over to the Premier League and challenge himself. From a personal point of view, he felt he was at the right age. He’s got fantastic experience.
“From a Club point of view, we felt as if we needed to strengthen our centre-back position and really challenge the other lads that we’ve got at the Club, so I’m really looking forward to see how they fight for positions.
“I’m delighted to have him here on a long contract, I think he’ll help us a lot. We’ve seen him in one session so far and let’s just say it was a strong first training session.”
Gerrard on Ashley Young
After signing a one-year contract this week, Ashley Young will remain with Villa for another season and will undoubtedly continue to be a key figure in the current squad.
His experience, pedigree at the highest level, leadership and versatility are all attributes that Gerrard clearly values, and he is delighted that the veteran was convinced to come back for another year and will subsequently be an important part of his plans moving forward.