Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa will be aiming to keep his England place ahead of their Euro 2024 semi-final clash on Wednesday.
Gareth Southgate’s side beat Switzerland on penalties last time out and they will now face the Netherlands in the final four.
Ezri Konsa impressed England with his Euro 2024 display, after the Aston Villa star made his first major tournament start when Marc Guehi had to drop out due to suspension.
Unai Emery guided Aston Villa to the Champions League last season and one of the key players for the team was Konsa.
For years and years, those at Villa Park have been crying for the 26-year-old to represent his country, but it only took until this season for that recognition to be heard.
But when Konsa was putting in a sterling display for England against the Swiss, the reaction of fans from the outside was one of surprise.
However, Roy Keane made it clear and reminded everyone that the ice-cool defender ‘is on the back of a brilliant season for Villa’.
The former Brentford man may have starred on the left side of a back three for England, but at club level, he has operated as a right-back and at the heart of the defence.
But Keane still threw in some truth bombs by stating that ‘we shouldn’t be that surprised’ with what Konsa is producing, as he told the Stick to Football Podcast.
Ezri Konsa praised for England performance at Euro 2024
“But he is on the back of a brilliant season for Villa,” said Keane. “Again, on the one hand, we shouldn’t be that surprised.
“Yeah (even coming in at the levels that he has). When he was in that team, I wouldn’t be looking and going ‘oooh’. You wouldn’t be that worried.”
Ezri Konsa going to the next level
This is just taking Konsa to the next level because he is further proving that he belongs at the highest of levels.
You could even argue that he shouldn’t be dropped for the next game because two key stats show why Konsa should start the semi-final ahead of Guehi.
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Either way, you are now hoping Southgate has woken up and he realises the utter brilliance of Konsa because he will further show what he is about on the Champions League stage next term.
It’s the highest level you can compete at for your club and with some Aston Villa players returning ahead of pre-season, then you can sense and feel the excitement levels building.
