Dean Smith says he is ‘amazed’ that Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa hasn’t been picked to play for England yet.
The Holte End hero thinks Ezri Konsa, who he worked with at Brentford before signing for Aston Villa, thinks that the ice-cool centre-back is going to be a ‘big player’ for Unai Emery’s side this season.
Dean Smith labelled Ezri Konsa as a ‘Rolls-Royce’, as he doesn’t quite understand why Gareth Southgate isn’t picking him for England, as he told BBC Radio 5 Live Sport.
Ever since joining Villa in 2019, Konsa has watched Tyrone Mings earn call-up after call-up, and deservedly so.
But, somehow, Southgate has turned a blind eye to the man next to him, even though he has probably been the most consistent out of the two.
There is no doubt that Mings is the leader at the back, the vocal figure and the huge presence, but he hasn’t done all on his own, with Smith sharing his thoughts on Konsa.
Konsa for England?
“A big player I think, for them this season, is going to be Ezri Konsa,” said Smith. “I am amazed he is not playing for England yet.
“He is a Rolls-Royce of a player. He made a big mistake against Newcastle for the second goal, but, boy, has he recovered from that. He is a top player.
On why Konsa isn’t getting picked for England: “I don’t know, in all honesty. He’s one of the standouts, for me.
“The fact that Steven Gerrard came in after me and kept playing him. They have brought in centre-halves since then as well, and now Unai keeps playing him as well. That’s a sign, for me, he is rated.”
Konsa is underrated
Both for Villa and in the Premier League, the 25-year-old is an underrated figure and he deserves more credit for his performances.
One of the big reasons why Villa are back in Europe is because of players like Konsa.
And as Dean Smith mentioned, even with new players coming in, it’s still the Englishman who is consistently starting.
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