Chat with Sherwood convinced Jordan to sign for Villa

Aston Villa’s new Ghanaian striker Jordan Ayew has revealed that it took him just ten seconds to decide to work under coach Tim Sherwood and wants to impress supporters of the English Premier League side with his performances on the pitch.

Villa signed the Ghana striker on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee on Monday.

The 23-year-old, who joins from Lorient in France’s Ligue 1, helped his country to second place in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Villa were in the market for a striker after selling Belgian Christian Benteke to Liverpool for £32.5m and the Ghanaian revealed a short conversation with the coach convinced him to sign for the club.

“When I spoke to the coach I knew this was the place for me. I didn’t think twice. I knew he was the right coach for me,” Ayew said.

“He has so much enthusiasm and determination for the game of football. It took 10 seconds to work out he was the right coach for me and Aston Villa was the right team for me.”

Ayew is seen as a replacement for Christian Benteke, who recently completed a move to Liverpool.

The 23-year-old forward had a decent season in France during the 2014/15 campaign as he scored 12 goals in 31 appearances, finishing as top-scorer for Lorient in Ligue 1.

Ayew says he is delighted to play at Villa Park and wants to be a favourite of fans of the Premier League side.

“Villa Park is one of the greatest stadiums in football. I can’t wait to put on the claret and blue and get out there and play for the supporters,” he said

“The support of the fans here at Aston Villa is amazing. Their passion is there for all to see.

I am so proud to now be playing for them.”

Villa fought as hard as they could to keep Benteke, who himself had finished as top scorer in each of the last three seasons he was at the club.

However, Tim Sherwood now has to find a dependable new source of goals and may well have done so in Ayew.

Johnson has relayed information provided by RMC reporter Mohamed Bouhafsi, who says Ayew has passed his medical and will complete his move from Ligue 1 to the Premier League upon signing a five-year deal with the Villa Park side.

Ayew isn’t just a goalscorer, either, as he also created 34 chances in Ligue 1 – the third-most for Lorient. Walid Mesloub created the most with 78 in total, but Ayew did at least assist five goals, too.

The Ghana international certainly isn’t shy when it comes to shooting as he hit 48 shots on target in Ligue 1 last season, converting 14.8% of his chances into goals.