Former Aston Villa midfielder Carles Gil has suggested ‘changes in the direction’ at the club were to blame for his torrid time at Villa Park.
The Spaniard was a £3.78m signing from Valencia in 2015, with Paul Lambert looking to add creativity to a side that had scored just 11 goals in 21 league games that season.
He made a solid start to life at the club but a series of injuries and the general chaos at Villa Park at the time meant he would manage just three goals and three assists in 34 games for the club before moving to Deportivo La Coruña in 2018.
He’s since rebuilt his career in MLS after joining New England Revolution in 2019 and was voted signing of the year in 2019.
“At Aston Villa, I started the first few months well, but there were changes in the direction and, from there, it was difficult for me to shine again,” he told AS.
“I don’t see it that way (that he rushed off to Villa). It was a decision I made with my previous agents.
“Valencia did not want me to leave and would refer to the clause or nothing. I wanted to go out because I couldn’t be happy.
“I aspired to show everything in every minute, and that weighed on me. In Elche, however, it was really me.”
