Harvey Elliott has been backed to resurrect his career in Spain despite a slow start to his time at Valencia. The playmaker left Liverpool on transfer deadline day after a previous temporary switch to Aston Villa failed to pay off last season.
The Villans had an obligatory clause to sign the 23-year-old permanently in a £35m deal if he made 10 Premier League appearances. But he was frozen out after Unai Emery swiftly decided he did not want to sign Elliott on a permanent basis.
Limited to just nine appearances in all competitions, he returned to Liverpool in the summer. Still down the pecking order at Anfield again, he left on loan once more in search of first-team football.
Elliott's Valencia struggles
Elliott has made three substitute appearances for Valencia to date. The club currently sit 19th in La Liga and have already sacked the manager who signed the midfielder, Carlos Corberan.
Despite the turbulent start, former Scotland international Alan Hutton has backed Elliott to reignite his fortunes in Spain, having done the same himself during his own playing career.
Hutton's own Spanish experience
The 41-year-old had been bombed out at Aston Villa by Paul Lambert in the summer of 2012. After spending time on loan at Nottingham Forest, he moved to Spain to join Mallorca on loan until the end of the season in January 2013.
Making 17 appearances for the club, Hutton had been keen to join permanently but they were ultimately unable to afford the deal after suffering relegation. Still, he loved his time at the club and believes a switch to La Liga is just what Elliott needs.
What Hutton said
“I went through a difficult time at Villa for a number of seasons and I went on loan to Spain and it was as if I just forgot about everything that had happened before,” he told FootballPredictions.com, as quoted by Birmingham Live.
“I really enjoyed my football. It's technical, it's different from the Premier League, it's not as physical. I think it will definitely suit Harvey Elliott’s attributes because he does want to get on the ball, he wants to get in pockets of space, he wants to make things happen and score goals. So it's about playing games and getting that confidence back.
“We all know he's a good player, he's just had a difficult couple of seasons. So even if he learns the language, if he gets in and about the different culture, you can just have a total change of mindset with a view to possibly coming back and doing something back in England.
“I had other opportunities out in Spain after my short spell there to go there full-time, so it opens up different doors for you moving forward. I think he's probably at a crossroads where he needs to end up making a decision and go somewhere where he feels the love, where he can play week in, week out.
“I think it's a good move for him, especially with the style of player that he is. I think he'll really fit into the Spanish league.”
