Premier League football has been hard to come by for Aston Villa’s Orjan Nyland with Dean Smith preferring Pepe Reina and Tom Heaton in goal.
Orjan Nyland might have found Premier League football hard to come by this season but the ‘fantastic’ Norway international still has the backing of Aston Villa’s goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler, speaking to AVTV.
It’s not often a man who has made just one league start all campaign is held in such high regard, both among the coaching staff and on the terraces.
But Nyland, thanks to some outstanding performances in Aston Villa’s run to the EFL Cup final, has plenty of admirers at Villa Park these days.
A goalkeeper who struggled initially after joining from Ingolstadt in 2018 has gone from strength to strength in recent months, establishing himself not only as a reliable understudy but also a genuine match-winner on occasions.
His exceptional display in the semi-final victory over Leicester City in January, not to mention that truly world-class save from a Youri Tielemans piledriver, will live long in the memory.
And Cutler is thrilled to work alongside a player with Nyland’s attitude and ability on a daily basis.
“First class,” the goalkeeping coach said. “He’s good in what he does daily – his work ethic, his desire to be better. He’s fantastic.
“It shows when he comes in and performs in games that he’s ready to play when needed. He’s a Premier League goalkeeper – his right foot his left foot, he’s athletic, he’s quick and he’s still learning.”
Unfortunately for Nyland, however, his cup heroics have not translated into regular Premier League minutes. Rather than put their faith in a Steve Bruce signing, Aston Villa opted to bring the veteran Pepe Reina back to England to replace the injured Tom Heaton during the January transfer window.
But a former World Cup winner knows that he cannot let his standards slip with Nyland breathing down his neck.
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