Harvey Elliott gets special Aston Villa treatment in rare opportunity away from Premier League

• 

• Liverpool FC News
• Liverpool FC

Harvey Elliott received an uncommon opportunity from Aston Villa boss Unai Emery during the international break after a nightmare loan spell

Harvey Elliott enjoyed a rare opportunity from Aston Villa boss Unai Emery(Image: 2026 CameraSport)

Harvey Elliott played the full 90 minutes for just the second time in his Aston Villa career during the international break.

Despite joining the club on a season-long loan from Liverpool last September, the 22-year-old has effectively been frozen out of Unai Emery's squad. He's played just nine games for the Villans this season, earning only 277 minutes of action.

Four of those games have come in the Premier League with Elliott only playing 13 minutes of top-flight football since September. Despite what has been a difficult season for the attacking midfielder, he's been given a key opportunity during Villa's trip to Spain for a warm-weather training camp.

Amid the international break - which Elliott missed out of Thomas Tuchel's 35-man England group - the midfielder played the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 friendly loss against LaLiga side Elche on Friday.

Elliott was the only player to stay for the full duration of the match in what was his first 90 minutes since surprisingly starting in Villa's 3-2 victory against RB Salzburg in the Europa League in January.

Harvey Elliott featured for Liverpool in pre-season before leaving for Aston Villa(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

Villa travelled to Murcia without the likes of John McGinn and Morgan Rogers who are ahead of Elliott in the pecking order at the club. His arrival in the Midlands included an obligation for Villa to sign him permanently should he make 10 first-team appearances.

However, Emery admitted that just two months after Elliott joined the club, he had made the decision not to sign him on a permanent deal.

Speaking in January, the ex-Arsenal and PSG boss said: "We have the issue with Harvey Elliott. Again, I am respecting all I can because he is a very good guy, a professional and respectful guy.

Unai Emery admitted his side have no intention of signing Elliott permanently(Image: Neville Williams, Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

“The situation he has with us is something I must take a decision on, but trying not to damage the player as less as possible. He deserves the best for him... the problem we have with Harvey is that he is on loan, and in case he plays matches we must buy him.

“We decided two months ago that we are not convinced to sign him, spending the money we would need to. This is the only issue.

"He is training every day with very good behaviour and to help us in training sessions. This is not something good for us and him, but this is football and sometimes we must make decisions."