Steven Gerrard hails Leon Bailey ahead of Aston Villa v Norwich City
Steven Gerrard has branded Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey a “big talent” ahead of his starting lineup announcement for the Norwich clash.
The Villans welcome Dean Smith’s Canaries side to Villa Park where they will look to end their winless run as they sit 15th in. the Premier League.
The Jamaica international has barely played for the Lions this season amid his injury crisis but Gerrard is adamant to stick with him.
He told Birmingham Live: “I think that if you asked Leon, that’s what he wants and craves. I was pretty pleased with his performance last week, he should have scored early on after six or even minutes to put us in the lead.
“He might put that down to a lack of game time and rust and getting in the rhythm. But Leon is a big talent and we want to keep him moving, keep giving him game time and the opportunity to get back in his own rhythm.
“We know that when he is in that rhythm he’s a top player. I haven’t confirmed my team to the boys for obvious reasons and I haven’t confirmed it to any of my staff, you know, a couple of hours before the game I’ll confirm that team and you’ll have to wait and see what options I decide.”
Play him.
Gerrard insisted that Bailey is a rhythm player and Aston Villa fans better hope that is the case.
They haven’t seen nearly enough of the 24-year-old since he made his move from Bayer Leverkusen at the start of the season.
Understandably, he has been sidelined at several stages of the campaign through no fault of his own but the fans need to see a bit more of what he can offer this season.
He himself will undoubtedly be disappointed with his how his Villa Park career has got underway.
The forward was scintillating in the Bundesliga which is what everyone is waiting to see.
Stringing together a run of games would be a huge boost for the Jamaican going into next season. It will give him the confidence to kick on after a hellish first year in the Premier League.
Bailey played against Leicester but missed a chance he should have buried inside the first ten minutes – what better opponent for him to rectify that mistake than Norwich, at home.
In other Aston Villa news, Gerrard wants Joe Gomez but the Liverpool player will have to force the move from his end