Xia paid a reported £10 million to sign the Welsh international in the summer.
Aston Villa centre-back James Chester has told Sky Bet that he wants to repay the faith and passion shown in the players by club owner Tony Xia.
Xia funded former manager Roberto di Matteo heavily in the transfer window, and Chester was one of the new arrivals, signed from Birmingham rivals West Bromwich Albion for a fee reported to be worth up to £10 million.
However, the Welsh international and his teammates have not experienced any form of success this season, with the relegated club having won just one of their first 11 Championship games.
So bad has been Villa’s start that Xia was pushed into sacking the man he appointed in June, and the club look to be in a desperate situation so early in the season.
Chester, who has been a mainstay in the Villa side since his arrival, has admitted that he is desperate for himself and his teammates to start repaying Xia for his passion and faith in the team.
He told Sky Bet: “Having met [Xia] he’s very passionate about the club and wanting to get the team back to its former glory.
“I think he’s made a statement this summer with the money he’s spent and hopefully as players we can repay that faith and start getting ourselves moving.”
Despite the club’s poor start, the Welshman also went on to stress just how well he has settled at Villa, although he did admit that it takes a certain degree of mental strength to play for the club at the moment.
Chester added: “I’ve really enjoyed it, to play for this club you have to be strong mentally, the fans are very knowledgeable and more than willing to let you know if you’re playing well or playing poorly. I make sure every Saturday I’m trying to be at my best and performing to the best of my ability. Like I say they’re a very knowledgeable bunch.
“We’re disappointed with the start we’ve had, but I’m confident in the ability we’ve got that we can turn it around, and we’re certainly capable of putting a few wins together.”
Villa host West Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in Saturday’s late kick-off in the Championship.
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