Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa pledged his long-term future to the club because of their upward trajectory.

The Midlands team have been in fine form since the arrival of Unai Emery last season.

The Spaniard has seen the club rise from relegation danger to a Europa Conference League spot.

“It's an exciting time to be a Villa player right now," Konsa admitted while on international duty.

“The direction the club is going in is really good.

“From last season we've shown that. We managed to get the Europa Conference League and we want to go one step ahead this season. Hopefully we can finish higher than we did last season.

“The direction we are going in is really good and everyone at Villa is really enjoying their football. The chemistry around the ground and the training ground is really good, it is really positive. We are all close, like a tight little family. Even if it is away we are all excited to play."