The former Bristol City striker made his first appearance for the club in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.
Speaking to Aston Villa’s official website, Rudy Gestede has praised Jonathan Kodjia’s debut performance in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest and backed the Ivorian striker to make a big impact in B6 going forward.
Kodjia, 26, joined Villa from Championship counterparts Bristol City before the international break for an £11 million fee that could rise to £15 million with add-ons and was thrust straight into the line-up for Forest’s visit to Villa Park, leading the line for the full 90 minutes in front of Ross McCormack.
While the former Robins star failed to get on the scoresheet, he did come close to opening his claret and blue account either side of half time with a couple of powerful headers and created a great chance for McCormack shortly after the half-hour mark which his Scottish teammate smacked against the post.
He clearly knows how to find the back of the net in the second tier after bagging 19 goals in 45 league games last season, and Gestede is confident that his fellow front man can replicate that form for Roberto Di Matteo’s men.
“I knew Jonathan’s name because he did well in France and when he came to Bristol City he did well there too,” the Benin international told avfc.co.uk. “I have heard only good things about him and he has showed he is a good player.
“He is good for the team and good for us. The first week he came back from international duty after scoring for the Ivory Coast. He came back and I think his confidence is quite high. It will only help us to score goals and get points.
“He did well against Forest and I think he deserved a goal. It is good to have competition like this because we know if one is not in a good day someone on the bench will come and make a difference.”
Gestede, meanwhile, began Sunday’s game on the bench but managed to make a quick impact following his 65th-minute introduction, putting Villa in front with an acrobatic finish in the 74th-minute after Ross McCormack had cancelled out Apostolos Vellios’ second-half opener just two minutes earlier.
His goal was not enough to secure the hosts all three points, however, as a late Henri Lansbury equaliser left them still searching for their second win of the season ahead of hosting Brentford on Wednesday night.
“Forest are very lucky I think to go back with a point,” Gestede added to avfc.co.uk. “It is football and if you don’t play until the end it is hard to win games. It is a big frustration because we should have won this game.
“We are not in the position we should be in the league. Everyone knows it. Football is like this. The season is still long, there are games to play and we have to win matches now.”
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