Douglas Luiz is delighted to be back at Aston Villa. Ask him what he forgot about this place and his answer comes right back. “Everything! I missed the players and the coaches. Villa Park was also very special to me. I had some of my best moments here. I missed everything.”
The Brazilian told Sky Sports: “I’m really grateful to be back at Aston Villa. I played my best football in this team and under this manager, because I haven’t played very well for a year and a half since I left Aston Villa.” That’s his first answer. Just as it is.
When the midfielder left Villa in the summer of 2024, having helped the club qualify for the Champions League, he was one of the team’s best players. He moved to Juventus in a £42m deal having just turned 26 and looked set to play his best football in Italy.
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However, he returned to Villa just 18 months later after a loan spell with Nottingham Forest, a spell hampered not only by injury but also by a decline in status. He started just five Premier League games for Forest. Instead, he was often used as a substitute.
What has happened since he left the villa? “I don’t know, maybe it was an adaptation,” he says. “It’s a different team, a different coach, a different idea. It’s true that it didn’t work out that well. But it helped me a lot, because even in the bad moments you can get something out of it.”
Circumstances saw him return to the club in third place in the Premier League, avoiding a relegation battle. Injuries to Boubakar Kamara, Youri Tielemans and John McGinn left a hole in midfield. Unai Emery decided he was the best option to fill that hole.
Douglas Luiz reunites with former manager Unai Emery at Aston Villa
“On the first phone call, he said, ‘Douglas, we need you so much right now,'” Lewis reveals. I told him, “Gaffer, you know me.” I’m ready to play. I’m ready to come back. ‘He has a lot of faith in me and I have faith in him. Our combination is very special. ”
I spoke to Emery about this and he explained the logic behind Luiz’s return and why he was the right choice. “Douglas Lewis, he knows us. He knows everything we’ve been working on and building here, our mentality, our demands,” Emery told Sky Sports.
“Of course, he left trying to improve things in his career, because his performances were great and it was a very good offer for him, both sportingly and financially. He came back due to circumstances, but he adapted quickly, played and is helping us.”
Douglas Luiz has been a key figure for Aston Villa since returning to the Premier League
“Some players have been here before, but there are also new players, so he has to adapt. He is gradually getting better. Of course, he understands my demands. I am pushing him with the meetings, videos (meetings) and individual work that we have now.”
When I told Lewis about the video conference, he laughed and jokingly suggested a modification to my claim that I missed everything about life with my old boss. “It’s the only thing I don’t really miss!” But speaking with both men, the connection between them is clear.
“I know him and I know his style,” Lewis says. “I understand him. That’s the way we think about football. I think Unai and I think the same way. The way we have possession, the way we press. The way he trains, the way he plays, the way he builds up, that helped me a lot.”
Douglas Luiz’s role at Aston Villa since returning to the club in January
Supporters have welcomed his return, with familiar voices urging him to shoot from every corner upon his return to Villa Park, but so far it hasn’t been an unqualified success. Villa have won one of their last five games, with that winner coming after his substitution.
Lewis slots in well enough, his calm passing is still evident and there is a feeling he will continue to improve. But in addition to the challenges of gaining speed physically after not starting to practice regularly, there are also tactical subtleties that most people tend to overlook.
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“When I came here, Unai said, ‘Douglas, you changed a few things in the build-up.’” I’m just trying to get everything as quickly as possible to help the team. For example, how to start the game from the goalkeeper, what the midfielders should do, etc.
“This is the most difficult game for me at the moment, because for a year and a half I was able to attack more. Now I’m more calm and I don’t attack as much. He said to me, ‘Douglas, you can attack, but your priority is structure.'” This has changed me a lot. ”
It is unclear whether Luiz will remain at Villa next season. There are options, but for now it’s a loan. With so much work to do, neither party is thinking too far ahead. Villa are chasing European trophies and aim to maintain their third place in the Premier League.
“We know it’s going to be very difficult because we have Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool behind us. They’re pushing really hard and we need to keep running to get points. We’re doing everything we can to get points.” As for Douglas Luiz, I’m really happy to be back to help again.
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