Leon Bailey is having one of his greatest seasons at Aston Villa since joining the team in 2021.
He has praised Unai Emery for rescuing Aston Villa’s career and said he never got along with Steven Gerrard.
The winger, who comes with a ferocious reputation and was partially charged with filling the void left by Jack Grealish, was signed by Dean Smith in 2021. Bailey came from Bayer Leverkusen, and the Premier League was a perfect fit for him because of his speed and cunning.
After losing their best player, Villa were going through a transitional period. To strengthen the front line, the £25 million acquisition of the Jamaican was made in addition to Emiliano Buendia and Danny Ings. But only 11 games into the season, Smith was fired due to a dismal showing.
Bailey saw few opportunities to play for the first team before Gerrard was quickly appointed, despite the fact that he guided Villa to safety. A few months after Bailey underwent confrontational conversations over his future, the Liverpool great was fired after another poor start the following year.
Villa and the 26-year-old have found new life since Emery’s arrival. Bailey, who has contributed 23 goals in all competitions, is currently leading their attempt to qualify for the Champions League.
Speaking to the Let’s Be Honest podcast, Bailey opened up about his turbulent relationship with Gerrard. He said:
“I would say (my) best season in terms of contribution. I think I scored more goals in one season, the season before I went to Aston Villa.
“This season is my best season, in terms of contributions. I just got my foot on the ground in the right way and the coach came in and did a lot.
“The previous coach I had issues with the coaches. Things weren’t clicking. When the new coach came in, that’s where everything turned around for me. He helped me a lot to be where I am today. I just felt more comfortable, more confident and everything just felt like it should have been.”