Aston Villa interview: New signing Donyell Malen explains his inspirations and Champions League dream

Donyell Malen wears a permanent tribute of one of his own greatest supporters on his left arm. It is a tattoo of his grandfather Jooprei, sipping a beer, underscored by a phrase epitomising the values instilled in him as a child: “I just never quit.”

“He always supported me,” explains Villa’s new £21million signing, who goes on to recall the story of when he moved amateur clubs in the Netherlands at the age of eight.

“It was another 30 minutes away from home but he drove me every day.”

Then comes the tragic aspect as Malen continues: “Shortly after I joined Ajax he died, so he never got to see me play professionally. But I have a lot of good memories.”

There is a message above the image of Jooprei which reads: “Just watch over me.”

“Even though he is not here, I know he has seen a lot,” reflects Malen.

One can only assume Jooprei is happy with what he is seeing now, his grandson having made the move to the Premier League at the age of 26.

For a while, it looked as though his bow in English football would come much sooner. Anointed as one of the brightest prospects in Ajax’s academy in his early teens, he was poached by Arsenal a decade ago only to then be snapped up by PSV Eindhoven for just £540,000 after two years in the Gunners’ academy, shortly after having made his first-team debut in a pre-season friendly.

A successful four years back in the Netherlands was followed by a £27m move to Borussia Dortmund, before Unai Emery this month identified him as the man to provide some added bite to a Villa team which has been overly reliant on the goals of Ollie Watkins, Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers this season.

“It was always something I dreamed for, to play in the Premier League,” says Malen, sitting down for his first newspaper interview at Bodymoor Heath. “When I was 16 and 17 I watched a lot of Arsenal first-team games, went to a lot of games at the Emirates Stadium. It definitely gave me a taste for English football.”

Malen scored 27 goals in 67 appearances for the Gunners youth team but left a year before Emery replaced Arsene Wenger as manager. Reports at the time claimed he had been referred to as “too fat” by the club’s then head of youth development, Andries Jonker, shortly before leaving.

Meeting him now, for the first-time and observing his softly-spoken, almost shy manner you can only ponder how such words might have stung. Thankfully, he did not allow them to hold him back. 

The opportunity to work with Emery now was a big factor when considering the move to Villa.

“What he has done to the club is really special,” he explains. “I think he is a great coach when you look at what he has done in his career, the prizes he has won and the players he has developed. It was a big reason.

“The forwards he had under him always provided good numbers (in terms of goals and assists). That is what forwards need.”

Malen’s current numbers, particularly when it comes to goalscoring, are already impressive. He has joined Villa just eight shy of hitting his career century, in just under 240 senior appearances. Throw in the fact he is not always played as a striker and the figures become even more eye-catching. 

Malen’s ability to play across the front line was one of the main attractions for Emery and the player himself is happy to fit in wherever required.

“It doesn’t matter where I am asked to play, I will be there,” he says. “I think as a player it is a good thing to have, being able to play different positions.

“The Premier League is very direct, the best league in the world. There is a lot of intensity. The whole way it is played will suit me, I think.”

Then, of course, there is the small matter of the Champions League. Malen was part of the Borussia Dortmund team which made the final against all odds last season and in Villa he is joining another unfancied club, who nevertheless find themselves well positioned as the competition heads toward the knockout stage.

Win in Monaco on Tuesday night and Emery’s team will be almost guaranteed a place in the last-16, avoiding the play-off round.

Malen, who has already played in this season’s competition for tournament, must take a watching brief until the end of the group phase but is ready to tell his new team-mates, who host Celtic at Villa Park a week on Wednesday, anything is possible.

“In the group stage last year at Dortmund we were drawn against Newcastle, Milan and PSG,” he says. “People said right away: ‘They’re out’. 

“But we picked up a lot of points, made it through and then I think it got a decent draw after. “From there things can go very quickly from the quarter-finals. It was a special run and my only regret is we didn’t win it.

“It’s a big thing, the Champions League. It’s the biggest competition in the world. I played in it for the last few years so for me it was a very important thing when deciding to move. This is where you want to play.”