Harvey Elliott spoke to the media after making his debut for Aston Villa.
Villa’s deadline day addition is delighted with his choice to leave Liverpool for B6 and believes his decision will pay off in the long run. Elliott may have only played the final 20 minutes of the draw at the Hill Dickinson Stadium but it was enough to satisfy the midfielder for now as he continues to settle into life at his new club.
Game time will gradually increase for Elliott over the coming weeks and he could now have an opportunity to make his mark sooner than first thought after Youri Tielemans suffered a calf injury on Merseyside. It’s not the reason Emery would have wanted to integrate Elliott quicker, but it offers a little consolation.
Emery key to Elliott transfer
One of the first things Elliott experienced when he arrived through the doors at Bodymoor Heath was the warmth and belief from Emery. It took merely moments for Villa’s new signing to feel the love from his new head coach. Elliott believes Emery will be pivotal to his progression and he hopes to build a strong rapport with the gaffer.
“It’s just his commitment to football, you know, and his energy, his passion (that makes Emery so special),” Elliott told Birmingham World. “It’s his detail as well, and the heart he has for all of us. The first time I ever spoke to him, I was blown away by the way he was and what he had to say about me.
“As the weeks have gone on, you see it more and more. He’s a very loving figure, he’s always looking out for you and making sure you’re okay. He does the best he can to help you as a player. I think working under him is going to be the best thing for me, as long as he trusts me. That’s all that matters, I want to put everything on the pitch for him and work as hard as I can for him.”
Elliott reflects on Liverpool exit & admits ‘selfish’ call
It was always going to be difficult to leave the champions but Elliott, having started just two Premier League matches last season, thought it was the right time to pack his bags. The 22-year-old admits it was a selfish decision to go but one that was necessary for the better of his future career.
When asked how he reflects on his time at Liverpool, Elliott said: “I mean for me, I loved every minute of it; every second, every day. I wouldn’t change it to be honest, I learned so much from being there and experienced many things,.
“But I think the most important thing for me when I was making the decision was to be playing first-team football. I need to be in a team where I’m getting regular minutes. Whether that’s starting or coming off the bench, just having that feeling of going into a matchday knowing you’re going to play, that’s the only way I can improve now.
“The love I have for Liverpool is still going to be there forever, that’s not going to change, I’m still going to be watching and looking out for them from afar. I’m wishing them all the very best.
“But sometimes in football you need to be selfish. I made the decision to leave because I wanted to do what’s best for me. I take all of my experiences and everything I learnt from Liverpool. Hopefully I can start to kick on now.”
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