Former coach 'does not see any weakness' in Suzuki

[Getty Images] Dennis Rudel, Zion Suzuki's former coach at Sint-Truiden in Belgium, praises the new Aston Villa goalkeeper's distribution - both with his arms and his feet - and believes his former player can become one of the world's best. "It is possible if he stays healthy," said the former Union Berlin coach. "With his physical strength, there is no one better in the world in terms of dynamic, jumping power, throws and kicking the ball. "When I watched him at the World Cup [for Japan], his biggest strength was his mental clearness. His focus on the game or in training sessions is so good. He is always prepared and really disciplined. "When I see how he has always adapted so quickly over the last four years, I'm convinced he can play at that [Premier League] level. "There are big footsteps [to follow] from Emi Martinez, you will get measured and compared to him. It would be the same at Bayern Munich with the new Manuel Neuer - Jonas Urbig - you get compared to the former player. "He is aiming to show he can be one of the best. He was immediately one of the top four or five goalkeepers in Serie A. "As a person and as a player, he is a role model for how you should behave. I don't see any weakness in him." Rudel, who worked with Suzuki when he was on loan at Sint-Truiden in 2023-24, believes Villa have signed a unique player. "I saw his power immediately," he added. "To show your strength in the game, you have to let the beast out on the pitch. He is so powerful, I've never seen a goalkeeper like it. "He has such big hands and he is powerful. When he can reach the ball, it is a 90-95% chance of a save. It is something really special."