Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings has expressed his belief that the team is on the verge of something truly special as they prepare for the Europa League final. The match against SC Freiburg in Istanbul offers Villa the opportunity to end a 30-year trophy drought and secure their first European silverware in 44 years.
Mings Reflects on the Journey
Mings, the second-longest serving player in Unai Emery's squad after John McGinn, has been a key figure at Villa Park for seven years. He initially joined on loan during the 2018/19 season, playing a crucial role in the club's promotion to the Premier League before making the move permanent.
Speaking to Villa TV, Mings said: "It's been an amazing lesson of perseverance, resilience and constant adaptability. I'm so happy for the supporters that they've shared this journey because we're all conscious that there are other generations of Villa fans that have seen European success. Us being able to contribute to that, certainly the players that have been in a long, long time, feels a little bit more special. It's been an amazing journey and one that I'm extremely proud of."
Focus on Winning
The defender emphasized the importance of enjoying the occasion but acknowledged that true enjoyment comes from victory. "I think enjoying the occasion is really important, but everybody enjoys the occasion if they win, ultimately. Everybody enjoys them a little bit more if you're on the right side of the result. Although we want to enjoy it, we certainly think that the enjoyment is reserved for the fans and for everybody associated with the club who can separate themselves from the playing side of it on Wednesday evening. For the players, we recognise that we need to enjoy it, but we will absolutely enjoy it more if we win."
Season of Ups and Downs
Mings has made 20 appearances across all competitions this season, including four in the Europa League, but has only played one minute in the knockout stages. Villa dominated the league phase with seven wins in eight games and have won 12 of their 14 matches in the competition overall. However, their league form has been inconsistent, particularly at the start and end of the campaign.
A remarkable run of 11 consecutive victories in the middle of the season briefly put Villa in title contention. However, injuries to key players like Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans, and John McGinn derailed their momentum. Despite this, Champions League qualification was secured on the final Friday before the trip to Turkey.
Reflecting on the season, Mings said: "I think this season has been a stop-start one in terms of periods of good things and periods of things that we're not so proud of. I remember doing an interview from a few months back, saying that at the end of the season, the group that is able to maintain calm the best will find themselves successful at the end of the season. I think we've demonstrated that as a group of players, blocking out the external noise at times, putting some pretty poor performances behind us and being able to go again. That has been a 20+ man effort because everybody's contributed something at different times. Everybody should feel proud of their contribution, both this season and in previous seasons. This season has the ability to be quite a special one."
