Cashing in on working with hotshot Lew
MATTY CASH thought he knew about pressure – until he found himself teeing up Ballon d’or candidate Robert Lewandowski.
The Aston Villa defender now calls Bayern Munich’s deadly striker a team-mate after choosing to play for Poland.
And his induction with the Poles last month went according to plan – both on and off the pitch.
One minute, Lewandowski (below) was firing home the rightback’s crosses during training.
The next, the duo were sharing dinner, with his new pal grilling him on the finer points of the Premier League.
Cash said: “I was doing finishing drills with him – he’s just unreal.
“His stats over the last few years have been phenomenal, better than anyone.
“Everyone knows that he should have won the Ballon d’or, but it’s not his decision.
“It was just great to be around him. Seeing him close up. Seeing his lifestyle, how he trains.
“I learned so much in a short space of time.
“We ended up having some really good chats over dinner. He’s one of the world’s best, so I was just
A few people have pulled me about getting Lewandowski to Villa.
I’ll leave it to him to decide – maybe if we get into the Champions League we can get him in
speaking to him about different situations and just general chitchat.
“He’s fluent in English and asked me about the Premier League – the intensity of it.
“But he knows anyway because everyone knows what the Premier League is about.
“A few people have pulled me about getting him to Villa.
“I’ll leave it to him to decide – maybe if we get into the Champions League we can get him in.”
Cash, 24, was one of the success stories under Dean Smith.
Villa’s previous boss lost his job after five successive defeats, being replaced by Steven Gerrard, who has steadied the ship with four victories from six.
Cash added: “I can’t thank Dean enough, bringing me to the club and giving me the chance to play in the Premier League.
“I’ll be grateful to him for ever. But football is like that.
“Since the new gaffer has come in, we’ve started really well.
“He’s got new ideas and I’m really enjoying it. There’s a lot more intensity about our play now.
“And on the ball, we’re trying to have a lot more possession.
“We’re trying to enjoy the ball because we’ve definitely got players who can do that.
“As full-backs, our job is trying to get high and wide, and get as many assists as possible.
“The lads are really enjoying playing under the new
gaffer.
Hopefully, we can keep progressing and playing well.”
Besides Lewandowski, Cash has found another soul-mate – but this one is a bit closer to home.
He has buddied up with fellow full-back Matt Targett to analyse each other’s game.
Cash said: “Tigs and me are really close.
“We bond well off the pitch and on it, it’s nice.
“After the game it’s nice to assess what each of us has done well.
“Having someone like him with such a good left foot is great, he’s been playing brilliantly, too.
“I think we have an identity now on how we want to play – and the full-back position is really important to that.
“The gaffer has been telling us how he wants to play in training and we’re trying to do it for him.
“When we won at Norwich, it was one of our best performances.
“Personally, I got loads of the ball – which is what I want.
“I’m trying to enjoy it and play how he wants me to.”