Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says he did seriously consider taking the Newcastle job when he was offered the opportunity in 2021.

The Spaniard was approached before Eddie Howe took the position but he opted to remain at Villarreal. Contrasting it with his time at Arsenal, he said he was initially excited about building the foundations of a brand new team:

“The Newcastle project is an attractive project, something to build, different to Arsenal. The Premier League is an attractive league for all us coaches. So when Newcastle called me, I thought a lot about the opportunity to return to England, to a serious project. For me, it was a source of pride, satisfaction and I appreciated it.”

“I thought about the offer and I spoke with (Villarreal president) Fernando Roig but I also had to take into account that we were in the Champions League with Villarreal, mid-season. In the end, with a lot of respect for Villarreal, and a lot of respect for Newcastle, I decided to stay.”

Some Magpies supporters may still wonder what might have been if Emery had joined the club eighteen months ago but it does seem as though things have turned out for the best for all parties involved.

While Newcastle have gone from strength to strength under the guidance of Howe, Emery took on the task of managing Villa earlier this season and the 51-year-old has swiftly turned around the Midlands club’s fortunes.

Under previous boss Steven Gerrard, the Villans were in danger of being involved in a relegation scrap but they are now sixth, only nine points behind Newcastle heading into this weekend’s fixture between the two teams.