Ezri Konsa has been a consistent performer at Aston Villa for several years now.
But it wasn’t until 2024 that Konsa got England recognition and then went on to be part of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad.
Dean Smith signed Konsa from Brentford in 2019 – just as Aston Villa earned promotion to the Premier League – but he wasn’t a starter straight away.
Tyrone Mings was the main guy at the back, alongside new recruit Bjorn Engels, with Konsa in and out of the XI.
It wasn’t until the second season that Villa fans got to see Konsa’s true worth and he didn’t disappoint because he showcased outstanding one-v-one defending, as well as calmness with and without the ball.
You sense that it took Villa getting into the Champions League for the player to get recognition outside of B6 and then being part of the England squad where the elite players were able to see what he was about.
Phil Foden and Angel Gomes were describing their England teammates, without naming them and the other person had to guess who they were talking about.
The Manchester City star proceeded to describe the Villa man and shared how he is a ‘great one-v-one defender’, as he told ITV Sport.
Foden interestingly added that the other England players would consider the 26-year-old as the ‘toughest they have come up against’.
Ezri Konsa’s defending hailed by England players
“Great one-v-one defender,” said Foden. “If you ask some of the lads, they say that he is the toughest they have come up against.”
Ezri Konsa one of Aston Villa’s most important players
Konsa is currently injured after going off in the first half against Manchester United and he has since pulled out of the latest England squad.
Pau Torres and the Charlton academy product are the two defenders Villa simply can’t be without.
Yes, it’s good news to see Tyrone Mings back in action, but he is going to find it difficult to get back into Unai Emery’s XI.
Emi Martinez, Konsa, Torres and Ollie Watkins, you would argue that these players are some of the first names on the teamsheet.
