Paul Merson hails ‘perfect’ Aston Villa defender Matty Cash
Paul Merson has hailed Aston Villa defender Matty Cash as the “perfect modern day full-back” and admitted he’s unlucky to be in this current generation.
Cash signed for Villa from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2020 and has been a first-team regular ever since under both Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard more recently.
After making his international debut for Poland during the 2021/22 campaign after seeing his chances limited with England, Merson told SportsKeeda [June 10] that he’s unfortunate to be around at the same time as Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold but praised him as one of the most underrated players in the Premier League.
“Matty Cash is a really good right-back and has been a great signing for Aston Villa,” he said.
“He defends well and isn’t afraid to venture forward, making him the perfect modern-day full-back. He isn’t afraid to have a pop at goal and is a fantastic athlete, as he pretty much plays every game.
“If you think about it, he’s really unlucky to be in this England generation blessed with unbelievable right-backs like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James. I’m glad he had the opportunity to turn out for the Polish national team, because a player of his caliber deserves to be playing international football.
“Cash is a 7/10 every week and in my time doing punditry, I’ve never really seen him getting ripped to shreds by an attacker regardless of who he comes up against.”
Quality
It’s undeniable just how good Cash has been since joining Villa two years ago and he absolutely deserves his place on Merson’s list of underrated players.
Because of the quality of the likes of Alexander-Arnold, James, Kyle Walker and co in his position he often gets overlooked, plus the fact Villa have struggled in recent years.
But he is shining again under Gerrard and is a huge factor in how the team plays, with excellent output and energy in both directions.
He is in the prime of his career and has plenty of time left on his contract, and Villa don’t have to worry about replacing him or losing him any time soon.
It’s great to see him getting some praise and plaudits for his performances and long may they continue at Villa Park for years to come. Anything good that happens he’ll be a big part of and we’re delighted that he’s one of us.
In other Aston Villa news, Gerrard doesn’t want to sell one key first-team ace according to a report