Aston Villa’s new goalkeeper Zion Suzuki says he is prepared for the pressure of replacing Emiliano Martinez after choosing regular first-team football over a move to Manchester United three years ago.
The Japan international, 24, joined Villa for £30m this summer after establishing himself at Parma and is now regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Suzuki had been wanted by Manchester United as a potential understudy to Andre Onana when he was playing for Urawa Red Diamonds. Instead, he opted to move to Belgian side Sint-Truiden in search of the playing time he felt was essential to his development.
That decision took him from Belgium to Parma within a year, where he spent two seasons playing in Serie A before earning his move to Villa.
“The priority was to play, that’s why I made the decision. I played in Belgium for one year and Parma for two years. I have been developing. It was very important to play in Serie A for two years. Now I am confident and I believe in myself.
“I made good steps and now I am here to play for this club. I am enjoying this moment. I want to help the team as much as possible. In the end, I am here. I am playing for Villa. That’s it. I wanted to come here and now I just want to play for this club.”
Suzuki made his Villa Park debut against Arsenal on Monday, with supporters immediately singing “Zion Suzuki – the world’s No1”.
The chant had previously been used by Villa fans for Martinez, who left for Chelsea in a £7.5m move. Their decision to sing it for Suzuki was an early indication that they were keen to welcome the new goalkeeper.
Suzuki starred for Japan at the World Cup before his country were eliminated by Brazil. However, he accepts that taking over from Martinez represents a significant challenge.
The two goalkeepers trained together briefly before Martinez completed his departure from Villa last week.
“Yeah, of course there are so many expectations. It is not easy to play after him but I want to help the team and I want to be like him. It’s a good challenge for me.
“I trained with him a little bit. He is a good person and I learned from him. It was a short time but I did learn from him. I am looking forward to playing against him now.”
Suzuki’s first appearance ended in defeat as Villa lost to Arsenal, but he was encouraged by the opportunity to show his ability with the ball at his feet.
He says the approach demanded by manager Unai Emery suits his own style, with Villa seeking to build attacks from the back. Suzuki also believes the chance to play in the Champions League was an important part of his decision to join the club.
“I am enjoying playing for him (Emery). What he wants is really interesting. It is my style. I tried to make some chances with my feet against Arsenal. It didn’t lead to a goal but I want to keep doing that.
“It was a difficult game. It was my debut but I wanted the win. We lost, so I am disappointed. But the manager said it is a process. We need to learn from defeats. Today we respected them but we lost and need to learn from this game and move forward.
“The Champions League is the best league and I am really looking forward to it. But first I want to get the first win in the Premier League. We want to get some momentum and go for the Champions League.”
Suzuki’s priority now is to help Villa secure their first Premier League victory and build momentum before their Champions League campaign begins.
