While it’s hard to pick out individuals for their improvement this past season given the entire Aston Villa squad has stepped up, Leon Bailey undoubtedly stood out.
The 26-year-old arrived with big hopes and expectations in 2021, but his first season with us was frustratingly disrupted by injuries as he was limited to just 18 appearances.
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In the 2022/23 campaign, there was a clear upturn in the Jamaican international’s form, particularly after the arrival of Unai Emery in November, and the signs were there that he was on an upward trajectory in terms of his impact in a Villa shirt.
However, he went on to take a major step forward this past season, scoring 14 goals and providing 13 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions, as he proved his durability, reliability and consistency in being a decisive figure in the final third.
Aside from the goals and assists, some of which were superb individual moments of quality, Bailey became a go-to option for Villa in attack as there was a sense of excitement every time he picked up possession and drove at defenders and there was a new air of confidence that he would make something happen.
It was clear that he had more confidence in his own fitness and form, as he needed no second invitation to take his man on and showcase his quick feet, pace and technical skills on the ball to entertain us, but importantly also to find an end product to his play on a more consistent basis too.
In one of the stand-out memories of his season, he also showed a growing sense of leadership and responsibility through the clip that went viral after he came off the bench against Lille in the second leg of our Europa Conference League quarter-final as he lifted his teammates and insisted we had time to come back, and that just shows his comfort and confidence in both his own game and his role in this team.
All these factors are part of why he’s become a leading figure for Villa under Emery, and the Basque coach has had a fundamental role to play in helping Bailey take his game to the next level and fulfil his potential.
“He has had a lot of influence on me and he has brought back my confidence,” Bailey told Premier League Productions earlier this month, as per BirminghamLive. “Unai has given me that confidence again.
” like to have a relationship with my coach. I think I am like that because of my dad – he is always there. Once I feel that, I will give my everything for that person. I never felt that before Unai came in, at all. When Unai came in, he gave me that feeling of confidence and comfort, the trust, everything. That’s when it changed for me.
“At one point, I was not happy at all and I wanted to leave, but when Unai came in everything changed. He has given everything I need and he is the best manager I have worked with. And I think he will be the best manager that I will work with for a long time. I respect him so much that if I don’t start a game, it doesn’t matter.
“I have that much trust in him and I believe in everything he is doing for the team. He has helped me a lot to really get people to see again what I am able to do. He is very important for us. What he has created has been truly remarkable. He is a really good example of a manager to have and the players really like him.”
Still only 26 years of age, it’s hoped that we’ve yet to see the best and peak years of Bailey’s career, as he must now use this past campaign as a foundation to build on and continue to improve.
He’s shown a more creative and clinical side of his game over the last nine months, and with his raw talent and physical attributes including his pace and technical ability, he will cause defences problems week in and week out if he can stay fit and focused on what he must do to continue to evolve and improve his game.
We’ve seen countless Villa players reach new levels under Emery, and Bailey has undoubtedly benefited from his coaching as he looks more than capable of being a pivotal figure for us in our pursuit of continuity, progression and success in the coming years.