Ian Maatsen: Aston Villa’s Versatile Fullback Destined for the Top
The 2024/25 season has been a mixed bag for Aston Villa. Having finished seventh and fourth in their first two seasons under Unai Emery, Villa find themselves in danger of missing out on European football. With nine matches remaining, Villans sit ninth in the Premier League table, two points behind Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle (who have a game in hand), three behind Manchester City, and four points behind Chelsea.
And yet, they still have the possibility of ending the campaign with not one, but two pieces of silverware. After beating Preston North End 3-0 and setting up a date with Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semifinals, Villa will travel to Brighton and hosting Nottingham Forest. Then, it’s off to the Parc de Princes, where they will face off against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
It remains to be seen whether or not Villa will win their first piece of major silverware since the 1995/96 EFL Cup, but one thing’s for sure. If Villa are to put an end to their three-decade-long trophy drought, they’ll need a major contribution from Ian Maatsen.
Born in Vlaardingen, Netherlands, Maatsen bounced around from Feyenoord to Sparta Rotterdam to PSV Eindhoven before deciding to leave for England in 2018. He joined Chelsea and made his debut one year later in an EFL Cup match vs. Grimsby Town, before being sent out on loan to lower-tier sides Charlton Athletic, Coventry City, and Burnley. Third time proved to be the charm for Maatsen, who emerged as a vital cog at the left back position under Vincent Kompany.
Similarly to Artem Smolyakov, Maatsen is an attack-minded fullback who is capable of bursting forward and chipping in a lethal cross, but who also never shirks his defensive duties. It’s this balanced nature which saw him solidify his status as one of the top talents in England’s second tier, winning the EFL Championship Player of the Month for January 2023, helping Burnley win the league title, and earning a spot in the Team of the Season.
Burnley failed to sign him on a permanent deal, however, and Maatsen ended up returning to Chelsea. However, he never quite managed to convince Mauricio Pochettino of his merits and ended up departing in the middle of the season, joining Borussia Dortmund on loan. Maatsen managed to cement a starting spot at left back under Edin Terzić, scoring two goals and two assists in 15 Bundesliga starts and helping them reach the UEFA Champions League Final with one goal against Atlético Madrid.
Although he failed to cover himself in glory in the final, making a misplaced pass which led to Real Madrid’s goal, he nevertheless did enough to be named in the Champions League Team of the Season. It’s these performances which attracted the interest of Aston Villa, who signed him for £37.5 million and tied him to a six-year contract. Whilst he’s often struggled for a starting spot due to competition from the likes of Lucas Digne, he’s nevertheless proven a key squad player and has registered 35 appearances across all competitions.
Maatsen’s versatility has enabled him to find success as a wing-back, a winger, or as a fullback on either flank. Just as he did in Terzić’s 4-2-3-1 formation, Maatsen has been able to operate with freedom and spread possession into the final third, acting as defensive cover and creating chances for his teammates. He has the positional awareness and speed to take advantage of space that opens up as the winger drifts inside, capable of entering an attack late in the move and adding the finishing touch.
The 23-year-old has proven his mettle in terms of carrying the ball forward, intervening with a desperately needed tackle, and making an impact on both sides of the ball. He can hold the width, time his runs to perfection and burst into the penalty area at just the right time, but he also has the focus and aggression to win a duel without conceding a costly foul. It’s this velocity and overall timing that enables him to pop out of nowhere and come up clutch in his offensive moves.
Maatsen ranks in the 93rd percentile for fullbacks when it comes to non-penalty goals per 90 (0.15), whilst he also places in the 92nd percentile for shot-creating actions (3.27). Whether opening up gaps in the opposing defense or winning tackles, Maatsen is always making his presence known, capable of offering balance and creativity and helping his defense remain organized and compact. And whilst his decision-making has come under question at times, there’s reason to believe that this will improve under Emery as he matures into a more compettent footballer.
The Dutchman’s positional awareness and ball progression work like magic for Villa and enable him to make darting runs across the flank, exploiting the gaps and attacking half-spaces with ease, whilst also helping them win the ball back with his aggressive counter-pressing. He has the in-game intelligence to adapt to whatever system that his manager demands, and he is more than capable of serving as an extra man in attack or defense.
His overall game harkens similarities to ex-Germany international Andreas Beck. He can switch the play, burst forward in transition, and create havoc either from a standing start or with his buccaneering runs on the counter-attack. However, unlike Beck, who never scored for Germany’s senior team in his nine appearances, Maatsen has already found the back of the net for his country.
Maatsen was called up for the Netherlands for the first time in October 2023 but remained on the bench for both matches vs. France and Greece. He then was called up for the Netherlands for the previous summer’s European Championship, failing to play a single minute. Maatsen made it to the Dutch squad in October 2024 but failed to play a single minute vs. Hungary and Germany. And after missing out on the matchday squad for their first leg of their UEFA Nations League quarterfinal vs. Spain, it seemed his misfortune was set to continue.
Instead, Maatsen finally made his Netherlands debut on March 23, starting alongside Virgil van Dijk, Jan Paul van Hecke and Lutsharel Geertruida in Ronald Koeman’s back four. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring early on for the EURO champions, but Memphis Depay would level proceedings shortly after. Oyarzabal restored Spain’s lead in the 67th minute, but Maatsen would equalize in the 79th minute to send the match to extra time. It was the second-straight match that Maatsen found the back of the net, having previously scored in Villa’s 3-0 thrashing of Club Brugge.
Lamine Yamal would give Spain the lead in the 103rd minute, only for Xavi Simons to equalize from the spot immediately after. The match went to penalties, with the first six penalty takers converting their efforts before Noa Lang and Yamal failed to beat the goalkeeper. Kenneth Taylor and Álex Baena then converted, whilst Maatsen’s Villa teammate Donyell Malen had his shot saved by Unai Simón. Pedri would make no mistake from the spot, sealing Spain’s spot in the final four.
It has been nearly one year since Borussia Dortmund edged Paris Saint-Germain to confirm their spot in the Champions League Final thanks in large part to a composed display from Maatsen at left back. If Villa are to get past PSG and confirm their spot in the Champions League semifinals, they’ll need Maatsen to be at his best.
By: Ogunniyi Abayomi / @Cerebralcaldo
Featured Image: @Juanfrann / Getty Images