Aston Villa landed a coup earlier this season when they convinced Unai Emery to part ways with Spanish side Villarreal to replace Steven Gerrard at the helm.

The ex-Arsenal head coach has won seven of his 12 Premier League matches in charge of the club and averaged 1.83 points per game in the division, which comes after the English boss won two of his first 11 clashes and averaged 0.82 points per outing.

Emery has clearly made a significant impact on the side and could continue to do so in the years to come, with his wealth of experience at the top level likely to stand him in good stead moving forward.

The Spaniard has worked with some of the best players in the world throughout his career and could use his knowledge to improve the players he currently has at his disposal.

Who is Unai Emery's next Dani Alves?

One player who has the potential to thrive under his management is Poland international Matty Cash, who has caught the eye in recent matches after a spell out of the side.

The £80k-per-week full-back won 22 of his 28 duels and completed 11 tackles in the wins over Everton and Crystal Palace combined, whilst assisting a goal in the defeat to Arsenal and forcing an own goal to beat the Eagles.

Emery could turn the defender into his new Dani Alves after working with the 126-cap Brazil international, who has racked up 178 club assists in his career, at Paris Saint-Germain.

The ex-Barcelona star was a threat from right-back as he scored five goals and provided nine assists in 41 competitive matches under the Spaniard's management, which shows that the Brazilian was able to provide consistent quality in his delivery from the back.

Cash could benefit from the head coach's experience of working with such a talent by developing his game and becoming a reliable forward threat in the coming months and years.

Illustrating this point, the ex-Nottingham Forest man heaped praise on his manager for helping the attacking side of his performances to thrive.

He said: "I love doing it (attacking). As a modern day FB, a lot of us like to attack. This manager is so tactically good that he tells me when I can go and when not to go. Today I chose the right time to go, I got fed in and we scored from it. That’s exactly what he is on about. He shows he’s a tactical master."

Cash, who was once described as "consistent" and a "real threat" by Alex McLeish, showcased his potential to offer quality in the final third with four goals and three assists in the Premier League last season.

At the age of 25, the dynamo also has plenty of time left to develop and grow but Emery's coaching could help him to reach the next level - potentially even making him the manager's next Alves in the process.