Aston Villa made millions on a player who just had a near-flawless European debut for new club

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A former Aston Villa player has just enjoyed an excellent Champions League debut for his new team this week.

Unai Emery’s men return to European action on Thursday evening, taking on Go Ahead Eagles.

They go into the fixture having beaten Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the Premier League to extend their unbeaten run to six games across all competitions.

While Aston Villa are flying right now, one of their ex-players has just put in a superb shift in the Champions League.

Jacob Ramsey was near-flawless for Newcastle United vs Benfica

The Midlands outfit sold academy graduate Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United in August for an initial £39m plus a further £4m in potential add-ons, according to Sky Sports.

An ankle injury early in the campaign has limited the 24-year-old’s minutes so far this season.

But Ramsey was handed his first start on October 21 when Newcastle beat Benfica 3-0.

The Englishman played 63 minutes and his passing, as per Sofascore, was nearly flawless on the night.

His solid showing comes on the back of what was a contentious exit from Villa Park.

Unai Emery agreed with Aston Villa players after Jacob Ramsey transfer

Aston Villa must be wary of PSR issues, and as Emery previously explained, this played a role in Ramsey’s exit.

As per the Express and Star, he said: “We have to accept the financial rules. We know it and we are trying to get a balance between the rules and our capacity to keep improving and getting better.”

The likes of John McGinn penned messages about the sale of Ramsey and were not overly happy, saying that it is just ‘the way football is set up these days’.

Emery agreed but admitted there was not a lot they could do about it.

He said: “I agree with the players, with the same message they sent. I agree but we have to move on and try to get our best. 

“In football you have to move on and keep going. They are sending messages in the same direction and I agree.”