Another chapter for Leon Bailey
Jamaicans will have more reasons to be watching the English Premier League this season as one of their own will be parading his skill in the world’s most popular football parade.
Leon Bailey, who will be 24 on 9 August, has put pen to paper on a £25 million contract that will see him move from German’s outfit Bayer Leverkusen to Aston Villa.
Bailey, the first Jamaican-born player to move to the Premier League since Demar Phillips in 2007, says he was excited to make the move on to a stage where he had always dreamt of playing on.
“As a Jamaican, we always dream of representing Jamaica in the English Premier League. It’s the league that most Jamaicans watch, so I am excited to go there and continue waving the flag high.”
Bailey, who grew up in the Cassava Piece area of Kingston, started his European journey at Genk in Belgium where he caught the eyes of several clubs before he was signed by Bayer Leverkusen in 2017 for £15 million. He went on to play 119 times for the German outfit, scoring 28 goals in the four seasons he spent at the club.
After a dip in form two seasons ago, Bailey was back to top form last season with 15 goals and 8 assists from 40 appearances.
Again, his name was associated with several big clubs but it was the premier league mid-table club Aston Villa that got his signature.
After signing the contract, Bailey said: “I have always said that I want to take it step by step, there were a lot of clubs that I could have gone to since I was very young but we decided we didn’t want to rush anything and we think Aston Villa is a step in the right direction. They are a top club with a big history, you can gain a lot of experience playing there and I think it’s the right choice and I am looking forward to do what I do best.”
Bailey also thanked his former club Bayer Leverkusen and the fans for the time he spent in Germany, saying he learnt a lot but he had done his time. “I think the club really helped me a lot in terms of becoming a better person, a better man and a mature player. It went well at the club, I did my time, I was excited to be there, I gave everything when I was wearing that jersey and don’t matter what, there will always be home for me and I will never be able to forget them.”
“The fans have always been there for me, regardless, and I have to thank them for their support because if it wasn’t for them, most of this wouldn’t be possible,” added Bailey.
Bailey will owe a lot of his upbringing to mentor and adopted father Craig Butler, who was instrumental in his career from a tender age.
Through the Phoenix Academy, Butler put everything on the line to ensure there was success. It wasn’t an easy road for either but in the end, he is proud to be reaping the rewards.
“I always knew that if he continued working the way we were working with Leon and the other boys, they would actually grow and become professional footballers. I grew up wanting to become a Premier League star and watching what Leon has done makes me happy and very proud of him. The effort, hard work, sacrifices, it goes to his character as a person, and it will play out on the field every time in making the right decisions.”
Bailey could be available for Aston Villa’s opening game of the Premier League season against promoted Watford on 14 August.
Last season Aston Villa finished 11th with 55 points, 31 points behind winners Manchester City.
