Emi Buendia scored and set up Morgan Rogers' clinching third goal as Aston Villa swept Freiburg in Wednesday's Europa League final. The Argentina midfielder earned man of the match honours in Istanbul with a brilliant second goal just before half time that put Villa in control. His performance capped a remarkable comeback after months of uncertainty about his future at the club.

A year ago Villa were open to selling Buendia following a low-key loan at Bayer Leverkusen. The 29-year-old signed from Norwich for £38m in 2021 and missed the entire 2023-24 season with a serious knee injury. He refused several transfer offers, determined to prove he belonged at Villa and fight back into the starting lineup under Unai Emery.

Buendia admitted the Europa League trophy justifies every moment he stayed. I always tried to refuse everything, he said. I wanted to stay here, I wanted to play for this club. His words reflect a player who battled through injury and self-doubt, trusting his work ethic when the club seemed ready to move on.