Ian Maatsen is yet to make his first start for Aston Villa, but he understands he is in a “process” and is eager to continue learning under manager Unai Emery. Lucas Digne, who has been starting ahead of Maatsen, was substituted at half-time during Villa’s 3-1 win against Wolves, allowing Maatsen to play the second half. Along with Leon Bailey, Ross Barkley, and Jhon Duran, Maatsen helped turn the game around after Villa had fallen behind.
Maatsen shared his thoughts after the game, saying:
Ian Maatsen said “We came back – normally you want a clean sheet – but we came back strong. We kept believing. I was very pleased with all the boys, all the fans, and happy with the performance. Today and last week again, it’s pleasing. We trust in our belief. And our ability. We kept the ball moving. We played strong. We didn’t rush, we made good decisions. And you see we are going to create a lot of chances. We scored three amazing goals. The coach will be very happy. We kept our character. He was just pleased. We have to keep going being consistent, but we’ll do it. It shows we have a good group. Everyone is capable of scoring. That’s what we believe in. We keep calm, we keep the ball, we know our players are going to make a difference.”
On his role in the team, Maatsen admitted it can be challenging not to start but remains positive:
Ian Maatsen said “Of course, it’s a bit difficult [not to start]. But there will be opportunities. And I have to be ready to make an impact and today I did that to help my teammates. Maybe next time is my time. I just have to be ready. Every time I have to be ready. I work hard. And we push each other. Maybe next week, it’s the other way around. I’m just happy to get minutes. It’s still a process. I’m happy to be at Villa. There’s a lot to learn. I’m easy. I’m just trying to do my best. Every minute show the quality I have.”
