Suzuki reveals why he snubbed Man Utd to take the long road to Aston Villa

Zion Suzuki has opened up on the decision that shaped his career: rejecting Manchester United to pursue regular football, a gamble that eventually earned him a £30m move to Aston Villa this summer as the direct replacement for Emiliano Martinez.

United had wanted the Japanese goalkeeper to join as understudy to André Onana, but Suzuki, then leaving Urawa Red Diamonds, chose Belgian side Sint-Truiden instead. The 24-year-old was clear about his reasoning. “The priority was to play, that’s why I made the decision,” he said. “I played in Belgium for one year and Parma for two years. I have been developing. It was very important to play in Serie A for two years. Now I am confident and I believe in myself.”

Within a year of arriving in Belgium, Suzuki had earned a move to Parma, where two seasons in Serie A cemented his reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Villa moved quickly to secure him once Martinez completed his £7.5m switch to Chelsea.

The size of the task is not lost on Suzuki. Martinez was a cult figure at Villa Park, and the new keeper acknowledged the weight of expectation. “Of course there are so many expectations. It is not easy to play after him but I want to help the team and I want to be like him. It’s a good challenge for me,” he said. The two keepers briefly overlapped in training before Martinez’s departure, and Suzuki said he took something from even that short spell. “He is a good person and I learned from him. I am looking forward to playing against him now.”

Villa supporters wasted no time in welcoming their new shot-stopper. During his debut against Arsenal at Villa Park on Monday, the home end sang “Zion Suzuki — the world’s No1” — the same chant once reserved for Martinez — a gesture Suzuki described as a moment he is enjoying.

“I made good steps and now I am here to play for this club,” he added. “I am enjoying this moment. I want to help the team as much as possible. In the end, I am here. I am playing for Villa. That’s it.”

Suzuki also spoke of his excitement at working under Unai Emery and competing in the Champions League, noting that Villa’s style of playing out from the back suits his game — even if his first outing ended in defeat to Arsenal.