I was banished to U23s after telling manager ‘this is my club’, it’s the worst thing you can go through as a player

11 months ago 67

GABBY AGBONLAHOR has revealed that he was banished to the youth team at Aston Villa.

The former England international fell out with manager Roberto Di Matteo in 2016.

Di Matteo, 53, was hired at Villa Park after the club had been relegated from the Premier League.

However, the Italian was sacked four months later after a run of poor results.

During the former Chelsea manager’s short stint, he tried to get Agbonlahor, 37, to leave the club.

The retired striker admitted that he told the boss that he was going to stay, leading to him being dropped to the U23s.

He told talkSPORT: “It happened to me under Di Matteo at Villa. I tell you, it’s the worst thing you can go through as a player.

“He [Di Matteo] wanted me to leave and I said ‘no, who are you to tell me to leave. I’m not going anywhere, this is my club and I’ve been here since I was a kid’.

“Yes we got relegated and it was horrible for the football club but I wanted to make amends.

“He made me play with the under-23s some days and on my own on other days and it’s horrible as a player.

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“You wake up in the morning and you’re like, ‘what’s the point?’”

Agbonlahor has compared the situation to Anthony Martial‘s at Manchester United.

The pundit has suggested that the Frenchman may not want to leave the club but is being left out by Erik ten Hag.

Reports have claimed that the forward has been told to train away from the first-team by the manager.

Agbonlahor added: “It’s probably because Martial doesn’t want to leave.

“Maybe a chance to leave has been offered and he hasn’t so he’s [Ten Hag] banished him like he did to Jadon Sancho.

“Should Martial still be at Manchester United? No he shouldn’t. He doesn’t put enough effort in but don’t put him on his own. I don’t like the training on your own though, I don’t like that.

“If it was a normal player, you train with the team and do extra with a fitness coach after training. He’s obviously been banished for a reason and Ten Hag’s done it again.”

Martial is in the final six months of his contract at Man United and has been linked with an exit.

The 28-year-old is free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs this month.