Maatsen keen to continue progressing

Ian Maatsen is determined to continue progressing at Aston Villa, after putting pen to paper on a new contract.

Maatsen extended his stay at Villa Park on Wednesday, having arrived at the club in the summer of 2024.

The left-back discussed his relationship with manager Unai Emery, and what made him keen to continue his journey in B6.

“First of all, the way the club is progressing, in a good way,” he said.

“A big part of this way is the coach, the vision he sees in this club, and everyone around him, and also my teammates.

“I really enjoy it. He’s really demanding, but he’s a very good coach who really gets into the details.

“He wants to make sure everyone is on the same page with the same plan, and it works. It’s a very good relationship.

“I feel at home here and I can develop here. It motivates me to bring this club to special things with them, and that’s the reason I signed the contract.”

Asked on his favourite memories in claret and blue so far, last season’s Europa League final and subsequent trophy parade sticks out for Maatsen, who was proud to be able to help the Villa faithful create special memories.

The Netherlands international added: “On the pitch is probably the Europa League final. A big trophy for the club.

“We hadn’t won [a trophy] in many years, so it was a good contribution for us as a team and a group, but also for the fans, for the club itself.

“The parade, to celebrate with the fans, the people in Birmingham, the local people, it was a very special day.

“It felt good. You see how big Birmingham is and we have a lot of Aston Villa fans. It’s good for the city to celebrate with us, so it was an amazing day.”

Watch Maatsen’s full interview via VillaTV now, by clicking below…