"I deserve more chances at Aston Villa, but I can say that (Unai) Emery is one of the best coaches," he told Il Corriere dello Sport.
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"I place him on the same level as (Pep) Guardiola, (Jrgen) Klopp and (Jos) Mourinho. He develops me in all aspects.
"It is a fascinating and stimulating league, we always work hard and there is a very high intensity on the field, the fans in the arena have fun but they treat the players with discretion.
"I play less than expected, but I think that an adaptation period in a new country is physiological. When I arrived I didn't even speak English, it was hard to adjust too because many teammates are married and I spent a lot of time alone."