Fresh off a solid England start, Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa is looking to continue to build on the already strong start to his career. As a constant force for opposing attackers to deal with on the backline, he's cemented himself as one of the top center-backs in the Premier League.
Having someone stick with a club for the duration of their prime and string together a long run in one spot is becoming more of a rarity nowadays. When, however, things are going well and a player is happy with his position in the squad and the chances of the team, it bodes well for a mainstay potential.
Under Unai Emery, AVFC is poised to reach high levels of success. The Spaniard has his side still playing FA Cup and Champions League matches in late March, and there's still a spot in Europe to play for. While the current progress gives plenty of room for optimism, the players and fans alike will ultimately want to see hardware.
Having good seasons and being in contention for trophies is always a good thing. Staying in multiple competitions as contenders months into the campaign will always be welcomed. At a certain point, however, something needs to end in a complete triumph.
Certainly at this point, Konsa would love nothing more than to win the EPL under Emery with this current nucleus. Sticking together and achieving a breakthrough under the same badge means a lot for everyone involved in that particular trophy-raising celebration at the end. Not that winning the Bundesliga, for example, with Bayern Munich isn't meaningful or significant, but it is a different feeling.
Current thoughts of Aston Villa player
Konsa spoke with Birmingham Live about being able to hoist a trophy with Villa. While sharing his current mindset, he also explained part of the driving motivating factors:
"Every player wants to win something, so when you retire, you can say that you have won this and you’ve won that. I think for us as a club, I don't know how long it has been since we have won a major trophy, so it is obviously something I want to do with this club."
The sense of pride of competing for AVFC is clear from the defender. Konsa knows that they have a massive opportunity in front of them this year. Adding to the cabinet would not only reinforce everything under Emery, but would also cement their sustained place in conversations among the top clubs in England.