Ezri Konsa has sent a heartwarming message to outgoing England manager Gareth Southgate, the boss who gave the Aston Villa centre-back his international debut.
Plenty of Villa players have had a great summer. Ollie Watkins received widespread praise for his late winner against the Netherlands. On top of this Emi Martinez has walked away with another trophy after winning the Copa America.
One man who was also away on international duty was Konsa. The defender joined the England squad yet again this summer after making his debut under Southgate.
However, this will be the last time the pair will work together for the foreseeable future after Southgate’s resignation. As a result, Konsa was quick to send a message to his former gaffer in the aftermath.
Ezri Konsa thanks Gareth Southgate for progressing the Aston Villa defender’s career
Konsa’s performances throughout at Villa were finally rewarded in March 2024 when he was given his England debut by Southgate.
The defender was selected in the squad back in November but did not earn a cap in those set of fixtures.
From here, the Villa man became a regular in the England set-up and was selected in the 26-man squad that made Euro 2024. Despite not being a regular starter, Konsa made a couple of appearances, most notably starting against Switzerland where he massively impressed.
Now sitting on seven caps for England’s senior squad, any future adventure with his country will have to be without Southgate due to his resignation on Tuesday.
As a result, Konsa took to social media to thank the manager for all he had done. He said: “The coach who gave me my England debut. Thank you gaffer & good luck for the future.”
Gareth Southgate has done wonders for Ezri Konsa’s career
While Unai Emery deserves a lot of praise for how he has transformed Konsa into a top defender, some credit should go to Southgate.
Many England players at Euro 2024 were mediocre despite the nation reaching the final. However, in the short time Konsa had out on the pitch, he never put a foot wrong.
Going into the 2024/25 campaign, this will no doubt help the defender, especially in the Champions League as he once again comes up against some of the world’s best attackers.
Experience is key for any man in the backline and now Konsa has just added another key element to his career.
