"I expect" - Journalist drops major claim on £25m Villa star's future

Leon Bailey will come good for Aston Villa with a full pre-season under his belt, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The winger joined from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, but his first campaign in English football has been overshadowed by injuries.

When Bailey made the £25m move to Villa Park last July, big things were expected of him. He had just scored 15 goals and laid on 11 assists in his final season in Germany, which made him one of the hottest prospects in European football.

Overall, Bailey contributed to 65 goals in 156 appearances for Leverkusen, although he’s yet to replicate that kind of form in a Villa shirt.

He started well, claiming an assist on his debut before marking his Villa Park bow with his first top-flight goal against Everton.

However, Bailey has been troubled with injuries since then, missing more than 15 game due to various muscle problems, which have been the story of his first campaign in the Premier League.

But since recovering from a thigh problem earlier this year, Bailey has been enjoying a decent run in the side and O’Rourke reckons that a full pre-season will aid him even further.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Injuries have held Bailey back more than anything else. He’s obviously a quality player.

“Villa spent big money on him, and he’s shown flashes of what he can bring to the team, but he’s not been consistent enough or had a free run with injuries to nail down a regular place, so I expect him to come back for pre-season and show his true worth to Villa and try and prove second season he might be a bit more settled in.”

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Gerrard has been favouring two up front recently, which doesn’t suit Bailey despite the Jamaica international