Aston Villa forward believes Unai Emery should be compared to the very best

The Italy international forward scored just the third goal of a season-long loan from Galatasaray in this month’s 1-1 draw at West Ham and has not started a Premier League match since December.

Yet it has not prevented Zaniolo from establishing a high opinion of Villa boss Emery, who the 24-year-old claims is on the same level as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho. Zaniolo previously played for the latter at Roma.

He told Italian newspaper Corriere Dello Sport: “It’s true and I say that I probably deserve more chances.

“But for that very reason I can describe the coach more objectively: he (Emery) is one of the best around, he’s improving me in all aspects. I put him on the same level as Guardiola, Klopp and Mourinho.”

Zaniolo, recruited last August after Emi Buendia suffered a season-ending knee injury, was a

regular starter in his early months at Villa but was also hit by controversy, when he was interviewed by police investigating an Italian betting scandal.

He denied ever betting on football and claimed to have only used gambling sites he did not know were illegal at the time.

Zaniolo broke his scoring duck in a Europa Conference League tie against Zrinjski Mostar in December, before netting a last-gasp equaliser against Sheffield United later that month.

He now hopes to help Villa’s bid to qualify for the Champions League over the final weeks of the season, conceding he initially found it difficult to adapt to life in England.

“Yes, I played less than expected,” he said. “But I think a period of adaptation to a different football and country is physiological.

“When I arrived in England, I didn’t even speak the language. It is difficult to acclimatise, also because many of my teammates are married and I spent a lot of time alone.”