Strasbourg midfielder Morgan Sanson has admitted his frustration over his time at Aston Villa, insisting he worked harder than anyone else in the squad but was not rewarded for it.
The midfielder has been speaking to Ligue 1’s official website about his move to Strasbourg in January after two frustrating years at Villa Park.
He joined Aston Villa in a €15.8m deal from Marseille in January 2021 but would manage just 23 appearances for the club in total.
That was initially due to injury but later became an issue of preference, with former manager Steven Gerrard making it clear from day one that he did not want him and Unai Emery being unconvinced when he replaced him last year.
That led to his loan move to Strasbourg in January, where he has been a regular since, making 15 appearances in Ligue 1 so far.
“I had no playing time at Aston Villa and needed a change of scenery,” he said.
“Once I understood that I would still not have playing time at the end of September-beginning of October with Villa under Steven Gerrard, despite my performances in training, I put myself in focus mode on the winter transfer window to find a club and finish this 2nd part of the season as well as possible.
“So, I worked more than all the others in training. Since I didn’t play on weekends, I was working extra.
“Of course, training does not replace a match, but when you get in shape, it allows you to be in the best possible conditions. It is thanks to this that I was able to quickly chain the matches here.
“I lived through difficult times there. First in terms of playing time, which is most important for a player. Not playing takes all the fun out of our job and it creates some tension.
“On the other hand, the positive thing is that it hardened me mentally. I was already solid in my head, but now I’m armoured. Going for months not playing, after being injured for six months the first year, coming back and getting injured again… it was hell.”
