·‘I'm looking forward to playing big games every few days’
Goretzka experienced the energy of Villa Park on a massive evening when the Villans marked their return to the elite of European football with a 1-0 victory against Bayern Munich in October 2024.
The German remembers that fixture well, hoping to be on the right side of similar occasions in future.
“I remember it was a really special atmosphere and crazy energy in the stadium. For us, with Bayern, it wasn't the best experience we had. For you, it was probably one of the best. I'm really looking forward to experiencing nights like this again.
“The Champions League nights are always special. I played some games there already, and every time to hear the song before the game is always special. I'm really looking forward to having some special nights here.”
A seasoned veteran of eight years with Die Roten, Goretzka has plenty of accolades in his trophy cabinet. The midfielder wants to help Villa build on the Europa League success from last season, and he looks forward to testing himself in a competitive context outside of Germany on a weekly basis.
“It’s a really good feeling to sign here. I had a bit of long vacation, and it was a process to find out what I wanted. From the first moment, I had a really good feeling, and I’m really happy to be here.
“I had a good feeling from the first conversation with the coach. Aston Villa, for me, is a really big club. It took me a while to find out what I really want to do now with my next step, and here, from the first moment, I had a good feeling. I'm really appreciating that I'm here.”
“I want to help the team to achieve their goals and to bring my experience that I have from my whole career. Let's play a good season.
“Obviously for me it’s a new league. I'm really looking forward to playing in these kinds of big games every few days, and this is probably the biggest difference to the Bundesliga, where you have only several great games with big opponents. I'm really looking forward to it.”
