Nicolo Zaniolo had a one-year loan spell at Aston Villa in the 2023/24 season and has now spoken about his time in Birmingham.
The Italian’s career was in a difficult spot at that point. After a chaotic exit from AS Roma, he ended up at Galatasaray, wanting an escape fromItalian football and the spotlight he’d been under.
After that, he joined Aston Villa on loan and played close to 40 times in all competitions for the Premier League side.
The Birmingham club had the option to sign him permanently but didn’t exercise it. He also had poor spells at Fiorentina and Atalanta, however, he’s finally finding form and direction at Udinese.
Player speaks about Aston Villa spell
Zaniolo spoke to Calciomercato in a detailed interview, where he was asked about the spell at Aston Villa.
The Italian looked back on his time in Birmingham, also revealing why he didn’t stay longer.
Zaniolo said, while saying it was his dream to play in England: “The Premier League is the NBA of football, and honestly, it was a dream of mine to play there. I also thought my style was perfect for that style of football. At the beginning, I played a lot in an incredible season, where we finished by qualifying for the Champions League.
“However, there was a lot of competition up front, with champions like Diaby, Watkins, Rogers, Bailey… The level was incredibly high, and then let’s just say I needed to adapt on the pitch, in life… even culturally. And then I have to be honest, I really missed Italy.”
Despite that, he is very grateful that he had to chance to play for Unai Emery’s side.
“However, I think I got some great satisfactions, like winning 2-0 against Arsenal as a starter. It’s an experience that has enriched my personal knowledge, and I’m happy to have helped bring such an important club as Aston Villa to the Champions League.”
Our take: Spell proved important for Zaniolo
At that point, Zaniolo really needed a push after a string of controversies and injuries. While he wasn’t always fit at Aston Villa, he managed to play in Europe and in England, which raised his profile when needed.
His career is back on track and he is one of the leaders at the Italian, showing a maturity he’s finally reached at 27.
