Matty Cash Commits Future to Aston Villa with New Contract

Matty Cash has confirmed his commitment to Aston Villa by signing a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2029. The 28-year-old defender rejected offers from other clubs, including Nottingham Forest, citing his strong relationship with manager Unai Emery as a key reason for his decision to stay.

Cash joined Villa in 2020 from Nottingham Forest for £16 million (approximately $21 million). Since then, he has made 195 appearances, becoming an integral part of the squad. In an exclusive interview with ESPN for “The Football Reporters,” Cash expressed his unwavering focus on remaining at Villa Park, despite interest from other teams.

“I had two offers from different clubs in the summer but I never really focused on that,” Cash stated. “My main priority is to stay at Villa. I think Villa’s a great club, I’ve done a lot of work there obviously over the years to progress as a player and I still think there’s a lot more to go.”

During a conversation with Emery, Cash made it clear that he wanted to continue his development at the club. “We always have an end of season talk and he just asked me where I was at and how I was feeling and that he’d love to keep me,” he explained. Cash highlighted his strong connection with the manager, noting that their discussions have played a significant role in his decision to renew his contract.

Emery’s Impact on Villa

Since taking over as manager in October 2022, Emery has transformed Villa, leading the team to the Champions League for the first time in over 40 years. Cash described Emery’s attention to detail, particularly during training sessions. “When you win a few games in a row, he gets more demanding and the videos go double as long,” Cash remarked.

The defender noted that video analysis sessions can stretch beyond an hour and 40 minutes, where Emery meticulously reviews match footage to highlight areas for improvement. “It’s funny because when we score, when he shows the clip of the goal, he’ll then show other things we could do even though we’ve just scored,” Cash added. This level of scrutiny emphasizes Emery’s commitment to player development and team success.

Social Media Backlash and Resilience

Cash also opened up about a challenging moment in November 2023 when he faced backlash after a tackle on Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, which sidelined Bentancur for a month. “Obviously, I didn’t mean the tackle on Bentancur. I went for the ball, but it’s a challenge and obviously there was a lot of stuff [afterwards],” Cash said.

The negative reaction led Cash to briefly delete his social media accounts. “I did actually delete social media that week because it was quite bad but it didn’t affect me in terms of [thinking] wow this is so bad, everyone’s abusing me. I just blocked it out and thought ‘I didn’t mean the tackle,'” he explained.

Despite the incident, Cash remains focused on his career at Aston Villa. His new contract and commitment to the club reflect his dedication to both his personal growth as a player and his contribution to the team’s success in the coming years.