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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said that he is happy with Harvey Elliott, despite barely selecting the Liverpool loanee all season.
Elliott joined Villa on a loan deal that included an obligation for Villa to buy the youngster on the condition that he made a certain number of appearances for Emery's team.
However, he has not played for Villa in the Premier League since September, when he was brought off at half-time after being handed his only start in the top flight all season.
Elliott has not appeared in a gameday squad in the league since October 19, but Emery offered some words of encouragement ahead of Villa's trip to Leeds on Sunday.
“The adaptation is something that some players need more than others," Emery said when asked about Elliott's lack of minutes. "But the team is going forward and being very demanding to achieve individual and collective performance, also the consistency we need.
“Some players, they need more time, or we can speak about how Emi Buendia struggled last year, to achieve what he is doing this season.
“Harvey Elliott, he is working very well. He is working consistently. He is a good guy and his commitment to Aston Villa is fantastic.
“I am happy how he is doing his work here, but now it is difficult because he has other players playing and performing well, for example Emi Buendia and other players.”
Buendia has endured a difficult couple of years at Villa, missing the entirety of the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury, before a disappointing 2024-25 season which saw Villa send him on loan to Bayer Leverkusen in January.
Buendia was told by Villa that he could leave during the 2025 summer transfer window but has regained his place in the team courtesy of some great form, making Elliott's task to break into the side even more difficult.
"He had an injury for 10 months, and after he was training with us. He needed time to get in everything - good, mentally, physically confident,” Emery said of Buendia’s form.
“He struggled last year and all the season, firstly with us for six months, not getting his performance and not playing consistently and not feeling really good.
“When he was on loan in Germany, with Bayer Leverkusen, he didn't achieve his confidence. He didn't achieve minutes. He didn't achieve numbers to recover himself, like a player he is.
"This year is completely different. He started so focused. He started the season very demanding, getting fit, feeling confident, playing with his skills, showing in each match he played in pre-season.
“Everything that happened around him, he deserved it because he worked hard to recover his best form as a player like he had before he was here.
“When we decided to keep him here, and he decided to stay here as well, I was confident he could get the numbers he is achieving."
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