It’s fair to say that Lucas Digne is pleased with his January move to Aston Villa, and the France international has again talked about how happy he is at the Birmingham club.
The fullback, in an interview with L’Equipe, even sounds quite surprised at just how good everything is at Villa, from the facilities available, the support staff, to the support of his teammates, and, of course, manager Steven Gerrard.
On what he’s ‘discovered’ at Aston Villa, Digne told the French newspaper: “It’s just fabulous. The infrastructure, the staff of around thirty people, the personalised video rooms, the nutritionists there every day, the five physical trainers… Everything is done to make you feel good, to progress. At first, it was hard to remember all the first names. I had a list of numbers… Fortunately, with WhatsApp, there are photos.”
L’Equipe wanted to know a bit more about Gerrard, so pressed for that, and Digne was happy to oblige: “Great legend and great man. As soon as I talked to him, I knew I wanted to go there. I had an incredible welcome from the coach, from the players. When I signed, around 9pm, Gerrard was there to give me a hug, to tell me that he was happy that I joined Villa. We talked for two hours. He didn’t have to, he could have waited for training the next day.
“I also received a message from captain Tyrone Mings. Morgan Sanson, a great guy, they welcomed me with open arms. Thanks to him, my integration was dazzling and I can only thank him.”
Digne also explained that Gerrard is a passionate coach, and he’s seen this in evidence at half-time during matches. The Liverpool legend sometimes joins in with training, and his January signing believes the style of play at Aston Villa is good for the players, and attractive for the fans.
This can all help Digne win a place in France’s World Cup squad for Qatar, which will have been part of the reason he knew he had to leave Everton when he wasn’t getting games, and had got on the wrong side of the manager.
