14 November 2023 , 22:30
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Ezri Konsa has swapped a sunshine holiday in Dubai for windswept fields in Burton-upon-Trent … and says it is “a dream come true”.
As the rain pelted his car on a drive south after he had played in his team's 3-1 win over Fulham on Sunday, Konsa and his partner Ronni were planning a break in the desert resort, where the temperatures are currently in the thirties.
But as they were about to sort out the details, the Aston Villa defender’s phone rang. On the line was Ruth Corry, who works for the Football Association’s team operations.
“I was literally driving home on the M1 and it was raining and we were talking about going on holiday somewhere,” explained Konsa. “Two minutes later, Ruth called me and she said I hope you have got no holidays booked and I said no - but I did - and she told me I was in the squad.
“I know Ruth really well - I worked with her at Charlton so she was really excited for me as well. Then I got a call from the gaffer. He was just congratulating me, telling me that I should come and enjoy myself, get to know the lads and go from there.
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“It was a weird feeling. It didn’t really sink in until I got home. It is a dream come true. The missus was crying a bit, she was more excited than me! I’d rather be here anyway (than on holiday), so it’s fine.”
Konsa’s call-up is a reward for his superb form at Villa, where he has excelled and taken on a leadership role in the absence of injured England defender Tyrone Mings. “I am a bit quiet but that is also something I wanted to work on for a while,” said the 26-year-old Londoner, who started out at the famous Senrab club in the East End, which produced the likes of John Terry, Jermaine Defoe and Sol Campbell.
“Playing alongside Tyrone at Aston Villa, he was always that leader for me and the rest of the boys. So with him not being there and being unable to play for the rest of the season, I felt like it was my responsibility to do that.”
Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa has earned his first England call-up (Michael Regan/Getty Images)And when he was part of Villa’s coaching team under Dean Smith, Terry helped Konsa develop his game. Konsa explained: “I worked with him (Terry) for two years and he really helped my game.
“I used to ask him a lot of questions on how he was able to maintain playing at such a high level and he gave me a lot of advice. I took that on and it has definitely helped me get to where I am today. He has been in touch and sent me a nice message.”
In September, Konsa signed a new long-term deal at Villa Park and is relishing life under Unai Emery. And when asked if Villa can disrupt the established order at the very top of the Premier League, Konsa declared: “Definitely, it’s an exciting time to be a Villa player right now.
“The direction the club is going in is really good. The chemistry and the feeling around the training ground is really good and positive. Last season, we managed to get into the Europa League and we want to go one step further this season.”