Ezri Konsa #2

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Signed for Charlton at 11 after starting out at Senrab FC, the Sunday League club in London’s Forest Gate which also produced, among others, Jermain Defoe, Sol Campbell and John Terry. Konsa has the word “blessed” tattooed on his left hand. “I got it in my second season at Charlton,” he said in 2021. “It reminds me how far I’ve come and how blessed I am. It was difficult growing up where I grew up. There was a lot of crime and violence, but I am lucky to have an older brother who kept me out of trouble and kept me grounded. It was tough, but me and my family and friends dealt with it and we got out of it. Hopefully what I’m doing now can inspire the next generation.” He signed for Villa from Brentford in 2019 for £12m, and made his England debut against Brazil in 2024. Has royal backing from Villa fan Prince William. Konsa: “He called me a Rolls-Royce once. That got stuck in my head. I’ll take that all day. It was really nice.”

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