Yannick Bolasie looking forward to taking on old friends when Aston Villa face-off against West Brom
Villa ace Yannick Bolasie has vowed to do his talking on the pitch when he faces-off against some old friends in Friday’s derby at Albion.
The on loan Everton winger will be aiming for a third straight start as Dean Smith’s resurgent Villa head to The Hawthorns for a mouth-watering showdown against the Baggies.
Bolasie is a former Crystal Palace team-mate of Albion striker Dwight Gayle, while he also played alongside Gareth Barry with the Toffees.
And he said: “I’m looking forward to it. I have a couple of friends there, who have been giving it a little bit.
“But I’ll be keeping calm and I look forward to meeting them on the pitch.”
After a slow start to life in the Midlands, Bolasie has shown signs of getting back toward his best and has been a key component of a Villa attack which has been plundered 15 goals in the last four games.
But the 29-year-old insists there is still room for improvement.
“I still don’t think I am as sharp as I can be,” he said. “The firepower we have here is unreal. The competition is fierce. It has everyone on their toes and that can only be a good thing for the club.
“I always look at it as though the sky is the limit. I definitely know I can get sharper, get off the mark quicker.
“I am going to be working on that, so I can get up and down the pitch and help the team defensively, as well as attack. I’m getting there slowly. It is just a matter of time.”
Striker Tammy Abraham and defender Alan Hutton have both been nominated for the PFA Championship Player of the Month Award for November.
The pair are included on a six-man shortlist for the prize, the winner of which is decided by an online fan vote.
