Ian Maatsen will be playing in the Champions League this season with Aston Villa and he did so last season with Borussia Dortmund, going all the way to the final against Real Madrid.
It seems as if the presence of the Champions League football at Aston Villa isn’t the biggest reason the Dutchman joined the club.
In an interview with AD, Maatsen has revealed that his initial intention was to stay at Dortmund but financial reasons led him to join Aston Villa.
He said: “When I left Dortmund, the plan was to return there. They just didn’t have the budget of Aston Villa. And it was also a dream of mine to play in the Premier League.”
Maatsen went on to reveal he’s settling in well at the Birmingham club, even tactically, and could turn out to be a good fit for Unai Emery’s side.
“This was a great opportunity, I also noticed in the conversations with trainer Unai Emery – attacking football and me as a left back on the inside or outside. I already feel completely at home in Birmingham.”
Maatsen didn’t play for the Netherlands at Euro 2024 despite being a part of Ronald Koeman’s side previously.
He hasn’t been called up to the side during the ongoing international break, which suggests that only regular football will bring him back to the Netherlands’ fold.
That can only provide motivation which will help Aston Villa in the coming months.
