Player #873 for Aston Villa, Carles Gil de Pareja Vicent, known as Carles Gil, played as a winger for the club in Villa’s 2014-15 and 2015-16 Premier League campaigns, making 34 appearances and scoring three goals.

Gil was born in Valencia on 22 November 1992 and was signed under Paul Lambert for €4.20m from Valencia CF 🇪🇸 on 13 January 2015, aged 22.

Gil was handed his debut as a 59’ substitute for Ashley Westwood in Villa’s 0-2 Premier League defeat to Liverpool on Saturday, 17 January 2015 and started the next four games for Villa, games that were also Paul Lambert’s last before his sacking in February 2015.

Gil scored his first goal for Villa in the 2-1 FA Cup 4th Round victory over AFC Bournemouth.

With the arrival of Lambert’s successor, Tim Sherwood, Carles was given just one substitute appearance on 89’ in the FA Cup Quarter Final win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, 7 March 2015.

Carles started the disastrous 2015-16 campaign injured and wouldn’t make his first Premier League appearance of the season until Saturday, 29 August 2015 in the 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Villa Park after coming on as a 68’ substitute for Leandro Bacuna.

Sherwood handed Carles his first Premier League start under his regime on Sunday, 13 September 2015, and Carles put in an excellent performance as Villa went two goals up against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, only for the Villa defence to collapse and lose the game 2-3.

Thereafter, Gil made just 2 further starts and 2 substitute appearances under Tim Sherwood before the latter was sacked, but under Sherwood’s successor Rémi Garde, Gil became a much more regular starter however, he would score just one goal under Garde - a consolation in the 1-3 defeat away to Sunderland on Saturday, 2 January 2016.

Gil would make one appearance under caretaker manager Eric Black following the departure of Rémi Garde, with this final game for Villa coming in the 0-4 defeat to Chelsea at Villa Park on Saturday, 2 April 2016

By no stretch was Carles Gil amongst the worst signings of the bewildering reign of Paul Lambert, and he certainly wasn’t the weakest link in the appalling squad that Villa compiled under Tim Sherwood’s reign in 2015-16.

To his credit, however, what a scenario it was to be plunged into, just 22, in a new country, in a new league with a struggling club and an incoherent manager even to native speakers. Gil, though, persevered, and under Tim Sherwood, he showed glimpses of quality. That, sadly, was not enough for what Villa needed.

Gil, whilst remaining on Villa’s books, was sent out on loan to Deportivo de La Coruña before joining the club on a permanent deal in July 2018 for a fee of €1.75m, aged 25. Subsequently, Gil has gone on to make a career in the MLS.

Perhaps the real testament to Gil is that if he returns to visit Villa Park, he will be richly welcomed, and few players of the era could expect that.

Gil had played under Paul Lambert, Tim Sherwood, Rémi Garde and Eric Black.