The Big Interview: Aston Villa star defender Ezri Konsa

Ezri Konsa, the towering Aston Villa defender, has had a remarkable journey on his career, from being a young star at Senrab FC to becoming a mainstay in the Premier League.

As he embarks on his sixth season with Villa, Konsa’s story is one of dedication, talent, and unwavering belief.

Born and raised in London, Konsa’s footballing roots lie at Senrab FC, a renowned youth academy that has produced numerous Premier League stars.

His performances at Senrab caught the eye of scouts, and he soon found himself on the radar of top clubs. In 2018, Konsa made the move to Villa Park, where he quickly established himself as a key player in the club’s defence.

This week, Showmax features an interview with the defender as he discusses his journey to the top.

What does it take to make it all the way to the top?

I don’t think you get to this level without believing in yourself. I was always at a stage where I knew that if I was willing to learn and willing to improve my game, I could potentially get to the top and play in the Premier League. For anyone out there who’s young and whose dream is to become a professional footballer and play for their country, you just got to keep working hard, stay humble, and the rewards do come.

You have a tattoo on your hand that says “blessed”. I know you’ve got a few different tattoos, but that one is eye catching. What’s that about?

I think it says what it needs to say. Really blessed. I got this tattoo when I was 17, and at the time there were a lot of players my age, fighting to get into the first team to play professional football. And the position that I’m in now, I am well and truly blessed to to be here. So, it says what it needs to say.

You are more blessed now than you’ve ever been. You’re an established Premier League footballer. You’re playing Champions League. You’ve just had the summer that you’ve had as well. You’re on top of the world, aren’t you?

Yeah. It would have been better if we could have brought it home. But, nevertheless, it was a great experience for me in the summer, not just for me, but my family as well, who came out. There were a lot of ups and downs during the tournament, but a lot of positives to take from it. We showed a lot of resilience in the tournament, and managed to get all the way to the final. But like I said, it was a shame that we couldn’t bring it home.

Does England feel to you like a bit of a whirlwind, considering you got into the squad towards the end of last year, you made your debut in March straight into a big tournament like the EUROs. Does it all feel a bit of a blur the last few months?

No, not a blur. I think it’s just it just goes to show that if you do work hard and you perform week in, week out, you know you’d always get the reward.

So a natural progression then?

Yeah, like a natural progression. I had a really good season last season and I was rewarded in the end with making my England debut in March and getting called up to the EUROs. To become a professional footballer and play for your country, you just got to keep working hard, stay humble.

Your personality is something that has been in character references from you being very small, serious about football, clearly, but off the pitch, someone who lifts the mood as well around the place. Is that fair? Is that how you’ve always been?

I’ve always been like that. I always try and make everyone feel feel happy. No matter if we lose or if we win. The vibe for me is always the same, especially in and around the training ground. I get along with everyone, the young lads who are coming up. I always try and make them feel welcome as soon as possible because. I was in their shoes at a point as well. And it’s not nice coming into an environment where you don’t know anyone and you know you haven’t got that connection. So, for me, I always try and make everyone feel as welcome and special.

Where does your strength of character come from?

Just growing up in the neighbourhood where I grew up in, with my brother and my mates, and just always being that the funny guy of the group. That hasn’t changed since i was a kid.

Have you always backed yourself?

Yeah, always.

Your brother and your parents have had a huge influence on you. Did they have a role in building you up to be the man that you are now?

Of course, 100%. Not everyone gets to grow up with a mum and dad. And fortunately for me, I was able to grow up with a mum and dad who were really supportive and still are now. My mum and dad took turns to drop me to training every day when I was younger. So, they made a lot of sacrifices for me. And now I’m just happy that I’m in this position now where I can repay them. But my brother was also a big part in that. He’s come to every single game, you know.

Really?

Yeah, since I started playing professionally at Charlton. And that support I think for me, without that, I don’t think i’d be the same person that I am today.

Having one parent Angolan and another one Congolese, how did that sort of shape you ?

It was very cultured in my house growing up. Portuguese and Lingala, the language that my dad speaks, was spoken in the house. Growing up being able to obviously speak different languages now has really helped. So,I’d say growing up it was really cultured in the house, with different languages being spoken. And my mum and dad, obviously they speak multiple languages, so it was a great experience growing up. Great household.

And what about football then? What was your journey to playing?

My brother started off in Sunday League. I used to go watch him with with my dad on Sundays. And I think from there, ever since then, I went to go watch my brother. It just clicked in my head that I wanted to do the same thing. I think naturally, as a as a younger brother, looking at your older brother play football, it’s something that you want to do as well. And from there, I told my dad, I want to play football, and never looked back from there.

Your youth team that you played for, Senrab FC, have become pretty famous down the years. I mean you’re talking Sol Campbell, Ledley King, John Terry, Jermain Defoe, lots of Premier League players like yourself. Were you aware back then that playing for that team meant something?

Yeah, that’s something that they won’t forget to tell you when you join the team.

You got the nickname Little Rio. Why?

A lot of people just said that I had a lot of similarities to Rio Ferdinand. And it was great to hear, obviously. Growing up, that’s something that you want to hear. It’s a player that I looked up to growing up as well at home, watching him at Old Trafford with Man United. So hearing that was an amazing feeling.

What are your early memories of Charlton, then being in the academy?

Going to the Valley in the Championship. They used to do a player of the month at each level, academy level. So when you’d win it, you’d win a free pair of boots, and then you’d go on to the Valley pitch. You walk around with under 13s, under 14s, whoever’s won the player of the month and you walk around and the fans will clap you around the pitch. So I think those are my early memories of signing for Charlton and trying to beat everyone else to to player of the month.

Charlton had a strong academy group as well. Ademola Lookman was there around that time. Joe Gomez maybe as well. it must have been quite a battle to be winning those boots, to be fair?

I think the time I was there, Charlton had a lot of players that have gone on to play professionally all around the world. So, we had an excellent group. We used to beat Chelsea, we used to beat Arsenal. So it was a time where we used to go into games feeling very confident with the players that we had.

Do you remember the jump from academy football to first team? Do you remember that being a step or did you just feel ready for it?

No, I felt ready. I did obviously play under 18. I played under 23s . And I think it gets to a point, where you do realise that it’s time to to take the next step. And when it came, I took it with both hands.

And that season as well was great, wasn’t it? It seemed like once you’d got into the team, you just went from strength to strength playing for Charlton and you won the young player of the year award at the end of your first season. So clearly you were ready, in that sense?

Yeah, definitely. I didn’t have a lot of experienced players playing alongside me. It’s important to have that, especially as a kid going into the first team and when I was there, I think Ademola left that season as well. So I was kind of by myself at that time. But I think it’s important when you do have players around you who who make you feel welcome, like i said before, and that can guide you in certain games, especially because League One’s not easy. It’s very physical.

At the end of that year, you had interest to go elsewhere, didn’t you? But you took a year. You took a beat at that point and then obviously ended up with the move to Brentford. Was that a conscious choice for you to stay at Charlton that extra year, just to make sure you develop that little bit more? Was it a considered move that at that point?

Yeah, 100%. Sometimes you do see it in a game where young players do move from a League One club or Championship and go straight to the top. And sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. But like I’ve said before, I’ve always had great people around me who gave me good advice. And it was the best choice for me to stay another season and develop my game. And that’s what I did. And then I made the move to Brentford, which was another fantastic choice by me and my family.

Looking back across your career, it feels like you’ve made almost like the right decision at the right time at each point. Does that feel the same to you?

Yeah, it does feel the same. Obviously I played League One, I played Championship for a season, and now I’m playing in the Premier League. And all those leagues bring something different. You learn something different in each league. And Itook something out of the League One. I took something out of the Championship and now I’m in the Premier League. I think it’s my sixth season, and I am still learning. I’m learning every season. The journey’s been crazy, but, like i said, I’m a player who wants to learn every day going into the training. The Premier League is a competition that I’ve always wanted to play in since I was a kid.

Brentford was next up for you. You worked with Dean Smith initially, then it was Thomas Frank. He sort of cemented your position as a centre back at Brentford at that point. And then obviously Aston Villa came calling, Dean Smith again. What do you remember about that period: the move from Brentford to Villa and how it came about?

It was a surprise. I actually came back from holiday after the EUROs. I was at home and ended up getting a text from Dean Smith, asking me if i’d like to join him at Aston Villa and obviously it was a no-brainer. So I came to Villa, and didn’t start the season as expected. I was only 21 at the time. We had experienced players ahead of me who have played at a high level. So it was about biding my time, watching and learning.

You had Dean Smith and John Terry as coaches at Villa at the time. You worked with John before. Was that relationship with John important in getting used to life at Villa?

Very important. John wasn’t here at the start. He joined a bit later, but obviously hearing the news that John Terry was going to come in and work with us was amazing news. It’s a legend coming in to work with with the defenders and work with the team. So instantly, it’s somebody you want to go to and you want to speak to him and ask him a million and one questions about how he managed to maintain playing at such a high level for so long. And his leadership skills at centre half. As for me especially, it’s something that i have had to grow into my game becoming more of a leader, especially with Tyrone not not being available.

You mentioned Tyrone. I mean, he looked after you at the start, but he nicked your first goal didn’t he?

Yeah, he did. On the pitch, I didn’t see it at all. So all that celebration was for nothing.

You’ve grown with Villa, and there’s no question that Villa has grown with you as well. To be fair, in recent years, what was it like when Unai Emery was appointed?

It was great. It was different with with all the other managers that we’ve had. Obviously Unai’s CV speaks for itself. The trophies he’s won, what he’s managed to do at the teams he’s been at has been nothing short of special.

His demands are different as well though, aren’t they?

Yeah, very different. And as soon as he came in, I think you could see the way things had changed. Especially in and around the training ground. The meetings that we’ve had are very detailed and very long as well. I’m sure you’ve heard.

Yes, but have they worked?

Yeah. They work, of course.I think it showed last year and the season before that how much we’ve progressed. I think for him, his mentality is top. No matter who we’re playing, he wants to win every game. And he knows that we can win as well. And the message is always clear. So the boys, we always know what we need to do on the pitch. And he believes in every single one of us. Puts a lot of confidence into us, especially if you’re not playing or if you’re playing, you know your role. You know what you need to do.

The way you play as a team with Unai, the high line, the way that the defensive shape changes as well: had you played anything like that previously or was that completely new to you?

It’s completely new. It was very hard to adapt. Because as a back four, you all have to have an understanding of each other. The body shape is something that we’ve changed since he’s come in. Everyone’s got to be able to to look at the line. So obviously one’s not deeper than the other. It’s worked really well for us. I think we all enjoy doing it.

The progress that you’ve made as a team is clear. You can see that in the results, the finishes and so on. But I think there was one week last season in December where you beat Manchester City one-nil. And I haven’t seen a team dominate Manchester City very often the way you did that day. And then follow that up. Then with another win, one-nil over Arsenal. The top two teams in the country at that point, back to back. That’s when everyone realised the level that you guys were at. As a team, did that feel like a breakthrough couple of results?

I feel like as a team, we felt it coming. The way we were performing, the way we were playing, the confidence that we had as a team. I think during that time we went on a crazy unbeaten run at Villa Park. During that time we knew that we could beat anyone, no matter who it was. So going into both of those games we were very confident.

You ended up doing the double over Arsenal last season as well, didn’t you?

Yeah, we did. I think the game at the Emirates broke their title hopes.

How thrilled are you to be playing Champions League?

It’s a competition that I’ve always wanted to play in since i was a kid. Growing up, hearing the music, when the players are walking out. It’s something that I’m very much looking forward to, especially here at Villa Park, with the atmosphere that we’ve got, the fans that we’ve got.

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