Since Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard :came the manager at Aston Villa, he has been impressed with a ciuooe of players, including Emiliano Buendia. He was voted as the club's player of the month for January after catching the eye in games against Manchester United and Everton and looks to have found his feet at Villa following the arrival of Gerrard. Buendia became the club's transfer record buy following his £35million switch from Norwich City in the summer, but took some time to settle in his new surroundings.

He now looks every bit a top player at Villa and Gerrard is delighted with the progress he has made in recent weeks. Gerrard revealed that the former Norwich man is an angry player in training and is a little competition, but that he does not mind any of that. According to Gerrard, Buendia is a tenacious player and loves to thrive in several situations, having shown glimpses of what he can do when he is up against players. Gerrard also added that the Argentine international star reminds him of his former teammate during his playing days at Liverpool, Javier Mascherano.

For a player of Buendia's status, being compared to such a football legend as Mascherano will come as a huge compliment and the only thing he will have in mind at the moment is to always continue to be a better player with every week that passes.
Buendia was followed by a couple of clubs last summer before he eventually sealed a move to Villa Park. Arsenal were among the club's mentioned as his potential destinations but with the Gunners too reluctant to pay the price that Norwich were asking for, Aston Villa jumped ahead of the north London club in the queue and eventually got their man.