Aston Villa loanee makes celebration promise ahead of Villa Park bow
Samuel Iling-Junior has promised not to overdo the celebrations should he score for Bologna against parent club Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
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The 21-year-old wideman is in the unusual position of his first appearance at Villa Park since joining the club potentially being for a visiting team.
Iling-Junior signed for Villa from Juventus in the summer but was then sent on loan for the season to Bologna, before the two clubs were paired against each other in the Champions League group stage.
With there being no rules in Uefa competition preventing a player facing their parent club, Iling-Junior is available for selection and will use the opportunity to show home supporters what they can expect from him in the future.
“It will be a good opportunity to show the fans what I can do and hopefully I get a warm welcome,” he told Sky Sports.
Asked if he would celebrate, should he score, Iling-Junior replied: "Maybe a little bit but I won't overdo it!”
Versatile Iling-Junior, who has featured for England under-21s as left wing-back but can play on either flank, has scored once in three Serie A appearances since joining Bologna, all of them as a substitute. The London-born ace also came off the bench in both of the Italian club’s Champions League ties to date, a 0-0 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk and a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool.
Villa signed Iling-Junior as part of the negotiations which saw midfielder Douglas Luiz move to Juventus and believe he has a bright future. After featuring in a handful of pre-season fixtures, it was agreed to send him on loan following talks with boss Unai Emery.
"It was more about seeing the progression of my career and my development," he continued. "I could have had another year where I was coming off the bench and not getting as many minutes as I would like.
"So I spoke to the coach and we decided it was best for me to go on loan."