Aston Villa Star Wasn’t Happy With Lack Of Game Time Feels Ex-Defender | OneFootball

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Former Dutch defender Hans Kraay Jr is of the view that Aston Villa star Donyell Malen was unhappy that he did not receive more game time at Villa Park last season.

Aston Villa were eyeing back-to-back Champions League qualifications and were keen to bring players in the winter transfer window to increase their hopes.

Malen, 26, was high on Unai Emery’s list and Premier League outfits Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United also showed interest.

Villa managed to beat stiff competition from their Premier League rivals to secure the signature of Malen from Borussia Dortmund.

However, his life at Villa Park did not start the way he expected it, as he struggled to get into Emery’s starting line-up.

Malen made only two starts in the Premier League for Aston Villa last season and managed to secure only 298 minutes in his 17 outings in the league.

Former Dutch defender Kraay Jr stated that Malen was not pleased at what he did for Aston Villa last season and he stressed that the ex-Dortmund winger can be an excellent substitute player for his team.

“He was quite upset at having played so little at Aston Villa”, Kraay told Dutch broadcaster ESPN.

“He is a great substitute.”

Malen was part of the Netherlands World Cup qualifiers squad against Finland and Malta, against whom he scored two goals while laying out an assist on Tuesday while coming off the bench for 18 minutes.

The Dutch forward will be determined to impress Emery during Aston Villa’s pre-season training sessions to get into his plans for next season.

Villa have a host of friendly games that Malen will also be looking to make an impact in, with clashes against Walsall, Hansa Rostock, St Louis and Nashville on the agenda.