Matty Cash said Aston Villa “had no ceiling” under Unai Emery ahead of the second anniversary of the manager's appointment, as the Spaniard expressed his desire to continue “breaking barriers” by becoming Champions League regulars.
Emery will celebrate the milestone on Thursday, in which he transformed Villa's fortunes. The club were above the Premier League relegation zone on goal difference before his first game in charge – a impressive 3-1 victory against Manchester United in November 2022.
Villa host Bologna in the Champions League on Tuesday hoping to maintain their 100% record after registering a famous victory against Bayern Munich in their last match in the competition. Cash admitted the club had made huge progress since signing from Nottingham Forest in September 2020.
“In the last four years since I arrived, the club has exploded, the quality in every department has increased and the club has no ceiling,” said the 27-year-old defender.
“I think it can go all the way to the top. Playing Champions League football was a huge part of getting here and the manager played a big part in that. It’s great to be here and in four years we’ve come a long way.
Emery said he wanted Villa's first season in Europe's premier competition since 1982-83 to be a springboard to further success. “We are there at the moment but I want to stay there for a long time,” the Villa director said. “It’s difficult. Maybe sometimes we have problems, but we have to be resilient in case they arise. We must be strong in our ideas and in our mind, to create a strong mentality to always try to break barriers.
Asked about the most important step he has taken since joining the club, Emery, who in May extended his contract at Villa until 2029, revealed a message he shared with his players from day one. “The only words that I use repeatedly, that I said when I got here and now, are: 'I don't want to waste my time here,'” the 52-year-old said. “I don’t want you to waste your time here. “We want to keep the level we have now, the Champions League, and add something more like being a trophy contender.
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Villa could come up against one of their players, Samuel Iling-Junior, who joined Bologna on loan in the summer weeks after signing from Juventus. The England Under-21 winger, who has made five appearances as a substitute for the Serie A side, is eligible to face his parent club.
