Matty Cash is spoilt for choice when looking at the number of quality players he’s blessed to share the dressing room with at Aston Villa.
World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez is up there with one of the best on the planet and continues to reach new heights at Aston Villa.
Alongside Cash in defence, there is Europa League-winning defender Pau Torres and England star Ezri Konsa; two players who are pivotal to Unai Emery’s backline.
And it’s impossible to forget forward Ollie Watkins, who plundered 39 goal involvements last term and has now established himself as one of Europe’s most clinical forwards.
Surprisingly, when speaking about his Villa teammates, neither of the above names featured in the conversation of the best he’s played with.
Matty Cash names Boubacar Kamara as ‘one of the best’ he’s played with
Villa were struck with a huge blow in February when Boubacar Kamara injured his ACL in the defeat against Manchester United.
It sidelined the Frenchman for the remainder of the campaign, with the 24-year-old only returning to training at the end of August.
Fortunately, after eight months on the sidelines, Emery confirmed Kamara and Tyrone Mings would be available for the trip to Fulham.
That is a huge boost for Villa, and when speaking about the impact of the duo, Cash dubbed Kamara as ‘underrated’ and named him as ‘one of the best’ he’s ever played with.
“I think Bouba [Kamara] is so underrated,” Cash said on Sky Sports.
“I think Bouba is one of the best players I’ve played with yeah, one of the best midfielders as well, he’s incredible.”
Kamara was so influential for Emery last term, as his footballing brain and defensive abilities were crucial in midfield, forming a brilliant partnership with Douglas Luiz.
Kamara’s return is massive for Aston Villa
It isn’t a wild claim for Cash to suggest the French midfielder is one of the greatest he’s played with as his impact speaks volumes of his talent.
Aston Villa have struggled defensively while he’s been absent and they’ve missed the protection he offers in the middle of the park.
Kamara is able to drop into a back three when Villa are in possession, giving a license for Cash to get forward while on the ball he’s near flawless.
He ranked in the top 10% of Premier League midfielders last term for pass completion, as per FBref, impressing in that metric and many others.
| Kamara’s 2023/24 Premier League per 90 stats | Value |
| Matches played | 20 |
| Pass completion | 89.1% |
| Balls recovered | 4.9 |
| Tackles | 2.2 |
| Interceptions | 1.1 |
| Ground duels won | 4.3 (51%) |
| Fouls drawn | 1.5 |
With Kamara now returning at the perfect time for Villa, supporters will be excited to see him reach the above levels this term and help his side qualify for the Champions League.
