Lucas Digne has declared that he joined Aston Villa from Everton because of Steven Gerrard.
The 28-year-old, who has left the Blues after three-and-a-half years at Goodison Park, departed for an undisclosed fee understood to be £25million.
Ex-Liverpool captain Gerrard returned to the Premier League from Scottish champions Rangers to replace Dean Smith as Villa manager earlier this season and Digne cited the former Kop Idol’s ideas for a project at the club as a big pull for him.
He said: “It was the main factor. I came here for the manager.
“I had a very good meeting with him and we spoke a couple of times during this month.
“I feel his desire to win, to show his football as a manager – the attacking football, the possession.
“I feel it’s what I want and what I want to show to the fans.”
Digne, who follows Philippe Coutinho through the Villa Park entrance this week, last played for Everton in the 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool on December 1 with manager Rafa Benitez claiming last week that the France international no longer wanted to play for the club.
The Blues have already handed a debut at Hull City to new signing Vitalii Mykolenko, who is viewed as Digne’s successor at left-back.
