Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel, Joe Cole has been waxing-lyrical about Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, making his case for the centre-back getting a spot in the England squad.
Konsa has been excellent for Villa this season, forming a fantastic partnership with Tyrone Mings at the heart of the Villans’ defence, and Cole believes that he’s deserving of a spot in Gareth Southgate’s side.
Cole believes that Konsa is in competition with Everton’s Ben Godfrey for a place in the Three Lions’ defence, but the former Chelsea man says Konsa just edges it.
“I’d go with a back three, but Konsa is the only difference for me. You went with Godfrey, I could have gone with Godfrey or Konsa, but I’ve gone with Konsa. I’ve seen him play, I’ve seen him from his days at Charlton as well and he keeps getting better and better,” Cole said.
Cole certainly isn’t wrong about the Aston Villa man.
The defender has improved ten-fold since joining Aston Villa from Brentford, and while the Villans struggled last season, they’ve found their feet in the Premier League this term.
It’s no coincidence that Villa’s upturn in form has coincided with Konsa’s emergence as a top-level centre-back, and the fact that he’s now in the conversation to be in the England squad tells you all you need to know about how much he’s improved.
Whether or not he’s selected for Gareth Southgate’s squad remains to be seen, but he’s certainly played himself into contention this season.
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