The 29-year-old has won almost everything football has to offer
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Marco Asensio of Aston Villa celebrates scoring against Club Brugge
Marco Asensio has had an incredible career before joining Villa.(Image: Ryan Pierse - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Marco Asensio has earned more plaudits from Aston Villa boss Unai Emery after coming from the bench to score twice and seal the club's spot in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal.
The Villains will take on Asensio's parent club, PSG, from whom he joined Villa on loan in the January transfer window. As per the deal, Villa will pay the Spaniard's wages for the remainder of the 2024/25 season but do not have an option to buy the player.
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Despite this, Emery has spoken about the winter acquisition, saying the club is "happy with him" since his arrival while adding the attacker is "connecting with other players, getting good positions is really important for us".
Twenty-nine-year-old Asensio is a three-time Champions League winner from his time with La Liga giants Real Madrid, even scoring during the club's 4-1 Champions League final win over Juventus in 2017, in Cardiff.
But, it hasn't always been smooth sailing for the Spain international.
Before Madrid - RCD Mallorca and Espanyol
Marco Asensio caught the eye of European football's elite from an early age while still playing in RCD Mallorca's youth system.
He made his first competitive appearance for the first team in October 2013 in the Spanish second tier, aged 17. He would go on to make 20 appearances that season before securing a regular spot and showcasing his talents the following year.
He managed six goals and eight assists in 36 league outings in the 2014/15 season, earning his move to Galatico hub Real Madrid for €3.90million in the summer of 2015.
During his first year with Los Blancos, he was loaned to fellow La Liga side Espanyol, making an instant impact in his native country's first division. Asensio racked up 17 goal contributions in 34 games, scoring four and setting up his teammates on 14 occasions.
Upon his return to Madrid at the end of the campaign, head coach Zinedine Zidane added him to his plans for the following season.
Successes at Madrid
Asensio returned to his parent club a fully fledged Spanish international and scored in his first game for the club in a UEFA Super Cup versus Seville.
The attacker would regularly feature alongside Madrid's attacking trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, earning a reputation for scoring goals in important matches.
Across his seven-year stint in Spain's capital, Asensio would play 286 times in the famous white strip, scoring 61 times and earning 31 assists. He also won a plethora of silverware including three Champions League medals, three Spanish titles, three UEFA Super Cups and four FIFA World Club Championships.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, Asensio would not renew his contract, eventually leaving to join PSG on a free in 2023.
PSG and Villa
Asensio arrived at PSG as part of a summer spending frenzy which saw the Parisian club splash €349.5million as well as the free captures of Marco and centre-back Milan Škriniar.
He has failed to secure a starting spot in Paris either as a number 10 or on either wing under Luis Enrique, featuring in 47 matches for the club. Still, he returned a somewhat impressive seven goals and 11 assists in this time despite limited minutes.
As the January transfer window approached, it became obvious that Asensio was not in Enrique's current plans and he attracted interest from across the continent but shocked a few people by deciding on a loan move to Aston Villa.
Since arriving, Asensio has been in fine form at Villa Park, scoring seven times in eight appearances across the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
Fans have already called for the loan move to become permanent a little more than a month after his arrival, with Unai Emery admitting he would be open to the idea.