‘Unai taught me everything’

Nicolas Jackson and Unai Emery are reunited. The Senegalese striker became Aston Villa’s eighth signing of the summer transfer window on Friday evening, arriving from Chelsea in a move that sees him link back up with his former manager. It is not completely uncommon in football for players to feature for the same manager at more than one club. This relationship, however, feels slightly different.After spending time as a youngster at local sides A.S.C. Tiléne and Casa Sports, Jackson’s promise earned him a move to Spain and Villarreal in 2019 where, as an 18-year-old, he began in the club’s ‘B’ side. The arrival of Emery a year later saw the frontman slowly start to stake his claim for a place in the senior squad, and by the beginning of the 2022/23 season, he had netted his first La Liga goal and been promoted to the first team setup. His breakthrough campaign in Castellón saw him net 12 goals in just 26 league appearances, despite Emery leaving in the October of 2022 to commence his reign in the Villa dugout. Looking back on that brief but fruitful spell together at Villarreal, Emery said: “We worked during the one year on his skill, he improved his understanding better, now he could exploit his potential.”And exploit his potential is exactly what Jackson started to do, when his form in Spain earned him a move to the Premier League with Chelsea in the summer of 2023. During his two seasons playing in West London, Jackson netted 30 goals in 81 appearances, establishing himself as a full international and netting his first goals for his country. Towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign, while Emery was guiding the Villans to a UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final appearance, praise was still being directed his way from his former protégé. In an interview with Sky Sports, Jackson credited his former manager for kickstarting his career and developing his game to shape the player we see today.In an interview with Sky Sports, he said: “Unai taught me a lot. He taught me everything about football. “When I (came) from Senegal, I knew how to play but I didn’t understand how to run in the pitch. “I was just running like crazy, taking the ball, dribbling and making my own stuff. I think he changed all that and made me a different kind of player. “Before I was not playing like this, I was more of a kid. He trained me for six months and he left. “He helped me a lot in the gym and tried to help me with my body. “All of them (coaches) are amazing, but Unai is a big key to my football now.”The public praise from both sides of this relationship meant Jackson’s move to Villa was not a complete surprise. There was always a feeling that he and Emery would end up working together once more and, after a spell on loan at Bayern Munich last season which yielded 11 goals in 34 outings, the 25-year-old headed to the midlands to add a little claret to the blue he had sported at Chelsea. Sitting down for his first interview with VillaTV, Jackson could not hide his excitement when asked of Emery’s influence, admitting the opportunity to work with him again was too good to turn down. The forward hopes to be able to replicate the success the pair achieved together during that spell at Villarreal, and reiterated Emery’s influence on his career thus far.He said: “He (Emery) was a big factor when I arrived in Spain. He’s been very important to me since the beginning; he’s always asking about my family. “He developed me in Villarreal, and I’m very happy to be here and working for him again. “We will work and try to push together as always, trying to achieve things together like we did in Villarreal. “Hopefully this year we will achieve many things, and for many more years to come as well. “With the coach, I’ve known him for a long time. With him calling me and from talking to him, he explained the project to me. “I like the project so much, and that’s why I’m here. Hopefully we can do a lot of things together.”With a few familiar faces in the form of Pau Torres (Villarreal), Ian Maatsen (Chelsea) and Leon Goretzka (Bayern) already waiting for him in the dressing room at Villa Park, Jackson will be eager to get to work as soon as possible. And that sentiment is certainly shared by his manager, too. Speaking at Friday’s pre-Arsenal press conference, Emery admitted how pleased he was to be working with Jackson again. The Villa boss has his man, and as he buoyantly described: “Now, it’s a new chapter here, with Nicolas Jackson. We are, of course, happy.”