Aston Villa's new No.1 goalkeeper Zion Suzuki made his debut in Monday night's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, three years after turning down a move to Manchester United. The 24-year-old Japan international signed to replace Emi Martinez and has taken a circuitous route to the Premier League, via Belgium and Italy.
Suzuki rejected a move to Old Trafford when United wanted him as understudy to Andre Onana. Instead, he chose to leave Urawa Red Diamonds for Belgian club Sint-Truiden to secure regular game time. A year later he moved to Parma, and after impressing at the World Cup, he joined Villa in a £30m deal.
Suzuki's Journey to Villa Park
“The priority was to play, that’s why I made the decision,” Suzuki revealed. “I played in Belgium for one year and Parma for two years. I have been developing. It was very important to play in Serie A for two years. Now I am confident and I believe in myself.”
“I made good steps and now I am here to play for this club. I am enjoying this moment. I want to help the team as much as possible. In the end, I am here. I am playing for Villa. That’s it. I wanted to come here and now I just want to play for this club.”
Fan Reaction and High Expectations
Villa fans immediately sang “Zion Suzuki - the world’s No.1” during his debut at Villa Park on Monday night, the same chant used for his predecessor. This sign shows supporters are moving on from the Argentine and looking to make Suzuki feel at home.
Suzuki, who has 28 caps for his country, acknowledges that following on from the World Cup winner, who has been a big part of Villa's success in recent years, is a significant challenge. “Yeah, of course there are so many expectations,” he admits. “It is not easy to play after him but I want to help the team and I want to be like him. It’s a good challenge for me.”
“I trained with him a little bit. He is a good person and I learned from him. It was a short time but I did learn from him. I am looking forward to playing against him now.”
Looking Ahead to Emery and Champions League
Suzuki says he is looking forward to improving under Unai Emery and is relishing the chance of both Premier League and Champions League football at Villa. He is noticeably being encouraged to play out from the back, a move which suits him.
“I am enjoying playing for him (Emery). What he wants is really interesting. It is my style. I tried to make some chances with my feet against Arsenal. It didn’t lead to a goal but I want to keep doing that.”
“It was a difficult game. It was my debut but I wanted the win. We lost, so I am disappointed. But the manager said it is a process. We need to learn from defeats. Today we respected them but we lost and need to learn from this game and move forward.”
“The Champions League is the best league and I am really looking forward to it. But first I want to get the first win in the Premier League. We want to get some momentum and go for the Champions League.”
