Guillem Balague: Unai Emery was urged to take the Aston Villa job by his son
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague claims that Unai Emery only took the Aston Villa job after being urged to by his son.
Just four days after Steven Gerrard was sacked, Aston Villa replaced him with former Villarreal and Arsenal manager Unai Emery.
The Spaniard will take charge of the club on November 1, meaning his first match with the Villans will be against Manchester United on 6 November.
But while excitement builds around the new manager and his first time in the Villa Park dugout, Balague has revealed that Emery’s son was crucial in his decision to take the job,
Speaking via the Claret and Blue Podcast (25 October), Balague said: “He said no to Newcastle because the timing wasn’t right, Villarreal asked him to stay put.
“He was enjoying being with his son. Having been all over the place, he hadn’t been able to be with him, close to him. So he enjoyed that and it was a different timing.
“Now, it was his son telling him, look, go. You have to enjoy this outcome and see, I’ll come and visit you.”
Visit anytime!
If Emery’s son did indeed play a large part in convincing his father to join Aston Villa, then he’ll likely receive a standing ovation at Villa Park when he does come to visit.
After Gerrard’s sacking, Villa fans were unclear about who would replace him. Many were deemed too optimistic for suggesting that the club could lure the likes of Mauricio Pochettino or Emery to the club, but they were proved right in the end.
Gabby Agbonlahor was definitely outspoken about Villa’s chances of landing a top-class manager, with the former Villa striker saying the club “can have who we want” [talkSPORT].
Emery was certainly towards the top of the candidate list, and the Spaniard’s record at Villarreal will certainly excite fans. Plus, for Emery to leave behind his job in Spain and come back to England shows his faith in Aston Villa’s long-term project.
His record in Europe will also catch the eye, and if Villa are to achieve their dreams of becoming a team regularly competing in continental tournaments then Emery is the perfect man to lead the club there.
In other Aston Villa news, Unai Emery’s appointment is exciting for Aston Villa fans, claims Darren Bent