Aston Villa’s start to this season has been magnificent but for Jaden Philogene, it’s been difficult.
Jaden Philogene returned to Aston Villa this summer in a £13 million move from Hull City, where he flourished in the Championship.
The 22-year-old has since made just two substitute appearances in the Premier League, coming off the bench for 16 minutes in the victory over West Ham while playing just one minute against Everton.
Philogene was also left out of Villa’s squad for their 3-0 success over Young Boys in the Champions League, with the Englishman perhaps wondering where his first start is coming from.
Jaden Philogene could struggle at Aston Villa this season
Philogene left Villa in 2023 as he wanted to play regular first-team football. Hull were able to provide him with that promise and he showcased his incredible talent in the second tier.
Following a haul of 12 goals and six assists in the Championship, the fleet-footed winger was destined for the Premier League and Villa wasted no time snapping him back up.
However, after returning to Villa Park, Philogene has encountered a similar issue that he faced over a year ago, with limited opportunities to start on the left or right wing.
Unai Emery has so many quality options to choose from in wide areas, including Leon Bailey, John McGinn, Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey, with Aston Villa expert John Townley failing to see where Philogene fits in.
Speaking on the Claret & Blue podcast, Townley said: “I’m not too sold where he’s going to feature as the season goes on, I think he will be playing, of course, but I’m struggling to think when he’s going to be starting matches, if at all, firstly, because you’ve got Bailey, who’s a tremendous player.
“But then even if Bailey isn’t available, then would McGinn be playing there? Would Tielemans be playing there? As we’ve just said, there’s already a lot of competition for McGinn to be playing in that midfield role, when you’ve got Tielemans, Barkley, Onana, Kamara is coming back.
“There’s so much there that it seems like Philogene is almost the player who’s missing out, or I think will miss out as we go on. I’m just struggling to see exactly where he fits in. But certainly coming off the bench, I can see him making a very good impact, absolutely.”
- READ MORE: Conor Hourihane says Aston Villa have just signed a ‘really promising player’ but warns of one thing
How Jaden Philogene can force his way into Emery’s plans
There’s no doubt that Philogene is currently cemented as an impact sub at Villa and on some occasions – like on Tuesday night – he won’t make the matchday squad.
That is a frustrating scenario for a player of his talent but he is more than capable of forcing his way into Emery’s plans; he just has to be patient and bide his time.
There will come a point in the season where injuries will pile up and the fixture schedule is congested. This could open the door for Philogene to start and that is when the jet-heeled winger needs to make a positive impression.
The former Hull star did look bright in his cameo against West Ham, as Villa scored a winner late on and he must use that as a benchmark to exceed in the coming weeks, especially with Emery’s men playing four games in the space of 12 days.
