Celebrating six years of Ezri Konsa

Ezri Konsa became an Aston Villa player six years ago today. The 27-year-old has enjoyed an incredible journey since signing from Brentford in 2019, establishing himself as a Premier League player, excelling in Europe and starring on the international stage. Signing for Villa represented the fulfilment of a dream for the Newham-born Konsa, who had burst onto the senior scene in 2016 as the latest talent to emerge from Charlton Athletic’s academy. Strong performances in League One caught the eye of Dean Smith’s Brentford in 2018, and just a year after joining the Bees, Konsa followed his former manager to Villa Park as the club readied itself for our first season back in the Premier League. On the day he signed, Konsa said: “I am over the moon. To join such a historic, massive club like Aston Villa is great. I can’t wait to meet the lads now and get started. “To be honest, I am speechless right now. It’s a dream come true. As a little kid, I always used to dream about playing in the Premier League. “For it to come true now is a fantastic feeling for me and my family. I am looking forward to the challenge of facing the top players in the world.” The defender had to bide his time before getting his chance in the top flight, playing just 15 minutes of the team’s opening 11 games. But on the back of his strong displays in the Carabao Cup, a full debut away to Wolves marked the beginning of a run of five starts, and he was a mainstay of the starting XI for the remainder of the campaign. His first season in claret and blue was not without its challenges, but he bounced back from being left on the bench for the Carabao Cup final loss to help the club retain its Premier League status on the final day. Konsa’s partnership with Tyrone Mings became a key feature of the team over the next few seasons as Villa steadily climbed up the table, with the defence helping to keep a club record 15 clean sheets in 2020/21. His composed playing style and ability to thwart attackers in one-on-one situations made him a hit with fans, teammates and managers, and his game moved to new levels when Unai Emery took the reins in 2022. A first England call-up came his way a year after the Spaniard’s arrival, propelling Villa’s No.4 into the national spotlight. "Ever since I was a little kid, I've wanted to play for England, so I'm grateful for the opportunity,” he said at the time. "I knew I had a lot to work on in my game. Only recently, in the last two seasons, we've started to excel with Aston Villa and that part of it has helped me to become the player I am today.” The qualities that every Villa fan had become accustomed to seeing transferred quickly to the international stage, and he’s been a regular member of the Three Lions’ squads since, including at Euro 2024 as they reached the semi-finals. Konsa’s rise in stature has aligned with Villa’s upward trajectory as the club has pushed up the Premier League over the past few seasons, bringing European football back to B6. A run to the Europa Conference League semi-finals was his first taste of continental competition, and he seamlessly adapted to the challenge of facing Europe’s best in our maiden Champions League campaign last term. Konsa played every minute in 11 of the team’s 12 games as Villa reached the quarter-finals, while his goal in the second leg against eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain served as a reminder of his rise as a Villan. The 2024/25 season ended with the England international just a dozen games away from reaching the 250 appearance mark for the club, and a social post revealed his hunger to achieve even more when he returns for the upcoming campaign. He wrote: “A season we came so close. Fighting on all fronts to make history for this club and push it to where it belongs. Thank you for the incredible support throughout. Europe again next season as we go for more.”