“Aston Villa is like my family” – Player on Unai Emery impact and loving his life right now

Unai Emery’s impact at Aston Villa has set the club on a new course, and Champions League football is perhaps the major sign of that so far.

Players who have been along for the ride often talk about just what an impact the Spaniard has had on the squad and the general feeling within it.

Lucas Digne has been one of those players to have benefitted the most. The 31-year-old returned to the France team in September after more than two years away from Didier Deschamps’ XI.

It was a big deal for the Frenchman, and he’s expected to again be named in the France squad when it’s announced this week.

Ahead of that, Digne has been speaking to the country’s media and a lot of the chat was inevitably about his time at Aston Villa so far.

Speaking to Foot Mercato, Digne explained all the clubs he’s played for have left a mark on him and then came around to speaking about his current side: “Aston Villa is like my family. Whether it’s the connection with the fans, the relationships in the dressing room and the team spirit, the way we work to achieve our ambitions, and we’ve grown a lot as a team since Emery arrived. Every club and every country helps me a lot to become the player and the person I am today. It wouldn’t have been the same if I had only played in one or two big leagues.”

All of that experience has made Digne the man he is and he feels it’s taken him to the height of his powers: “I feel like I’m playing the best football of my career. I’m a happy footballer, a happy man and a happy father. I love what I do and I just want to enjoy every day and every moment.”