Unai Emery on Nicolas Jackson’s impact against Manchester City:
🗣️ Unai Emery: “Before we signed Nicolas, I had a conversation with him that I think he needed to hear.
“I told him, ‘Nicolas, I know what you can do. But I also know what people are saying about you. Chelsea decided to move on, Bayern Munich did not make the move permanent, and now some people are asking whether you can be trusted at the highest level.
“He looked at me and said, ‘Mister, I know what I can do. I just need somebody who believes in me.’
“I remember that answer because he did not start talking about what Chelsea did wrong or why Bayern rejected him. He spoke about what he wanted to prove next. For me, that was important.
“I asked him, ‘And what exactly do you want to prove?’
“He said, ‘That I can be the striker people thought I was going to become.’
“I told him, ‘Good. But here, you will not play because of your name or because people feel sorry for you. You will play because you help Aston Villa win.’
“Today against Manchester City, he started, and I wanted him to understand something. You cannot hide against a team like City. You must run, you must fight, you must attack the spaces, and when the opportunity comes, you must be brave enough to take responsibility.
“And Nicolas was giving us that. He was making their defenders uncomfortable, competing physically, and forcing City to think about him even when they wanted to push forward. This is what we need from our striker. Not only goals, but somebody who makes the entire team believe we can hurt the opponent.
“After the match, I spoke to him. I said, ‘Nicolas, do you understand why I brought you here?’
“He said, ‘Because you believe in me, Mister.’
“I told him, ‘No. Because I believe you can become the player you keep telling me you are.’
“He smiled and said, ‘Then keep playing me.’
“[Laughs] You see? He is already negotiating!
“But I like that confidence. I do not want a striker who arrives here carrying the disappointment of what happened at Chelsea or Bayern. Those chapters are finished. We cannot change them. What we can change is what happens next.
“People rejected Nicolas Jackson, and perhaps they had their reasons. But football is not finished with a player simply because two clubs decide he is not the right answer. Sometimes, another club sees the same player and recognizes a different possibility.
I did not bring Nicolas to Aston Villa to remind everybody of his past. I brought him here because I believe his best football can still be ahead of him. And if he keeps playing with this hunger, those who gave up on him may soon have to explain why.””
[ This is the source @UTD_Seth001 ]