At a time where the distance between football fans and the Premier League's highly-paid stars is further than ever, Amadou Onana is a much-needed reminder of what it means to be a football player
Amadou Onana of Aston Villa celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Villa and Bournemouth
Amadou Onana of Aston Villa celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Villa and Bournemouth
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At Aston Villa, there is one player guaranteed to produce a bit of much-needed feel good factor: Amadou Onana.
The Belgian international shares an extraordinary bond with the Aston Villa supporters. Villa fans will already be aware of this, but it's worth emphasising as a testament to the wonderful relationship that can exist between fans and players.
Onana scored a cracking goal in the thrashing of Bournemouth on Sunday. The TV cameras immediately panned away from his celebration. I felt compelled to seek out a different clip and then some still images of Onana after his shot rocketed into the net.
Sure enough, there he was with his arms raised, over to the Villa fans as they enjoyed another special moment together.
You may have witnessed other instances when Onana celebrates a significant victory by extending his arms in front of him, the crowd starts to cheer, and there he is, almost orchestrating the proceedings.
There are of course other Premier League stars who do something similar. Every group of supporters has a favourite player, chant or celebration. But I'm genuinely struggling to think of any player who does it better than Onana.
He may not be the most skilled or technical player in the Villa squad. He came with a £50m price tag and I'm sure he's on substantial wages. He might not even be a guaranteed starter when everyone's fit. Some fans might well believe he's not all that.
But he's clearly exceptionally intelligent, a genuine presence on the pitch and a dominant force in the middle of the park. His powerful surging runs and that low drive which produced a spectacular goal against Bournemouth demonstrate that he is an accomplished all-round midfielder.
Amadou Onana scored his first goal of the season against Bournemouth
Amadou Onana scored his first goal of the season against Bournemouth
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I don't know him personally. I've only ever heard him speak. And he comes across superbly, by the way. I love his smile and the manner in which he plays with passion and soul.
There is also a recognition of what it means to represent a major club like Villa. A respect for the supporters and recognising that everything revolves around them and their energy. That is what makes Amadou Onana so special.
And it's worth remembering not everyone "gets" fans. I heard former professionals criticising Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence for dismissing Thomas Frank when the Spurs manager attempted to encourage them to acknowledge the Tottenham supporters after their defeat to Chelsea. It wasn't the appropriate time.
We don't know the circumstances or what might have occurred at the interval, they said.
What complete rubbish from former players who have evidently never grasped what it feels like to follow your team home and away, to spend all your money on supporting them. You think about little else!
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Spurs supporters clearly adore van de Ven. And justifiably so.
We can't all be flawless all of the time. And, strangely, I was far more irritated with the former professionals insisting the Spurs players had done nothing wrong rather than the players themselves - who duly apologised to their manager afterwards.
I'm certain even Onana has his bad days. But that connection he has with the fans is what football is all about.
Even in this era of the Premier League, where players seem more distant than ever due to the vast sums of money involved, he remains a brilliant beacon of excellence.
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