Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has taken the meaning of super sub to new levels this term after truly starring from the bench.
Duran has only started three times in all competitions but the Aston Villa star has found the net eight times at a rate of 65 minutes per goal.
The 20-year-old has been simply breathtaking to watch and Villa knew they had to reward such stellar form by giving Duran a new long-term contract.
Despite scoring eight times in 14 appearances, mostly from the bench, the towering Colombian isn’t satisfied and he craves more.
He’s in a constant battle with forward Ollie Watkins for minutes on the pitch, often replacing him off the bench, and he must feel he deserves more game time.
Why Jhon Duran is ‘constantly fighting’ with Unai Emery
Emery managed to convince Duran to stay in the summer after both Chelsea and West Ham attempted to sign him.
The Spaniard knew he couldn’t afford to let such a precocious talent leave, despite Villa setting a £40 million asking price on Duran, which many clubs refused to pay.
Villa fans are now thankful that their most talented young asset has committed his future to the club, although he does concede that he ‘constantly fights’ with Emery.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Duran explained how they’ve had many problems but that reflects his relentless ambition to play more rather than throwing his toys out of the pram.
“There are [moments of] love and hate, sometimes! But no, I feel very grateful to him, very grateful to him and his coaching staff. We’ve had many problems, but they’re normal, I think,” he said.
“The truth is, I’m very happy to be here with him, to share the space with him, to learn from his teachings. He wants to teach me all the time. He’s protective, sometimes.
Duran also praised his manager and mentioned how he’s ‘very grateful’ to play for Aston Villa and have Emery fighting his corner.
“Sometimes it happens, and there are sparks! So we’re constantly fighting,” he added. “But I think it’s normal for a young man of my age, and a person like him who already knows a lot, who has already achieved so many things.
“And the truth is, I feel very, very grateful to be in this space, and that he’s a person as great in football as he is. To learn more from him every day, and I’m very happy with him here.”
“Yes, sometimes we argue. Because he has his point of view, I have mine, and I’ve never been the one who stays quiet. If I have something to say, no matter who it is, I say it.”
How Jhon Duran ranks against Europe’s best strikers
When looking at how Duran stacks up against other strikers across Europe’s top five leagues, it makes for pretty impressive reading.
As highlighted by FBref, he ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals per 90 and the top 2% for total shots as well as the top 14% for touches in (att pen).
| Statistic per 90 | Figure | Percentile |
| Non-penalty goals | 1.07 | Top 1% |
| Shots total | 4.51 | Top 2% |
| Touches (Att pen) | 6.28 | Top 14% |
| Fouls drawn | 0.12 | Top 3% |
| Tackles | 1.30 | Top 4% |
| Aerials won | 4.27 | Top 11% |
The above table demonstrates that Duran isn’t just a clinical finisher, he’s quality at pressing from the front, winning aerial duels and being a nightmare for the opposition to defend against.
