Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore gave three reasons why he failed at Aston Villa in the past – injuries, constant managerial uncertainty and the culture shock of leaving a European giant for a struggling Premier League outfit.
The winger’s debut season at Villa saw him sidelined with a calf injury and metatarsal fracture, racking up just 186 minutes of Premier League football.
As per the Express & Star, Traore said: “I was injured there (at Villa) straight away. I didn’t know the language or culture. It was my first injury too, so I was in the bed with my leg up and couldn’t move for two weeks.
During his time at Villa Park, he played under six different managers in the first-team and reserves, including caretaker appointments – Eric Black, Remi Garde, Tim Sherwood, Gordon Cowans, Kevin MacDonald and Roberto Di Matteo.
Traore added: “We had four or five managers in one year. They changed everything. We were relegated. My family was nervous because we left Barcelona to go to the Premier League and were in the Championship.
Finally, the gulf in class was telling for the Spaniard, going from a side in the Champions League who challenge on all fronts to a club struggling to stay in the top-flight.
“Villa is a big team but it isn’t like Barcelona and you could see the difference straight away, it was a big difference.”
The 22-year-old left Barcelona for the Midlands in 2015 and went on to make 12 appearances for Villa in all competitions, scoring and creating three goals. He lasted only a year at Villa Park and was eventually sold to Middlesbrough.
At the Riverside Stadium, Traore contributed 18 goals in 71 games and was eventually headhunted by Wolverhampton Wanderers during the summer where he currently resides.
The Spanish u21 international always had potential, but in his early years he was guilty of bad decision-making in possession and being wasteful with the ball. He’s grown considerably, however, and believes he’s learned from past mistakes.
Stats from Transfermarkt.
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