Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has now showered his former manager Unai Emery with praise.
Throughout his managerial career, Unai Emery has shown a keen eye for spotting talent, whether that is in the transfer market or from the youth setup.
Emery has revolutionised Aston Villa by significantly improving the players in his squad and deploying a tactic that teams struggle to play against.
The likes of Douglas Luiz, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and Pau Torres have all thrived under his tutelage as the Spaniard instils belief into his group of players and doesn’t let them get carried away with their achievements.
During his tenure as Arsenal manager, he carried out a similar approach and one player who benefitted was Bukayo Saka.
A product of the Hale End academy, Emery awarded Saka his first team debut in a UEFA Europa League group-stage clash against Vorskla Poltava in November 2018.
He also handed the forward his Premier League debut for the club the following year before being dismissed by the club after 18 months in charge.
Although Saka has since risen to prominence as one of the best attackers in Europe, he can’t forget the impact that Emery had on his career.
Bukayo Saka drops ‘special’ praise for Aston Villa boss Unai Emery
Speaking to TNT Sport’s Laura Woods, Saka showered the Aston Villa manager with praise and revealed how he was more than just an excellent coach.
He said: “For me, it was really special. I can never forget him – he’s the one that gave me my debut.
“Obviously you can see all the work put in to get to that stage. He gave me that moment and gave me a lot of confidence as well.
“He gave me so many more appearances so I’m always grateful to him. I’m really happy for him. Every time we play against him, I always try and say hello to him and say thank you as well.
“He was a really nice man and a really nice coach as well and I enjoyed my time under him.”
Which academy star will Emery unleash at Aston Villa?
From a young age Saka undoubtedly showed his talent in the youth set-up, but Emery took a chance on integrating him into the first-team picture and he’s now one of Arsenal’s most important players.
There are several youngsters who – like Saka all them years ago – are banging on the door for a place in the first-team.
Rico Richards is one of them. He’s shown promise since arriving from West Brom last year and is now out at Stockport County on loan.
Likewise, striker Kobei Moore, who has scored three goals in six Premier League 2 appearances this term, is also pushing for a place in Emery’s plans.
The most likely to break into the first team, however, is attacking midfielder Omari Kellyman.
He’s already had a brief taste of senior football, featuring for 12 minutes in the Carabao Cup defeat against Everton in September and if it wasn’t for an injury he picked up, he could have added to that solitary appearance.
The 18-year-old is arguably the most talented youngster Villa have on their hands and he looks destined to become a top player.
