Micah Richards is the latest to praise Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa who was impressive on the international stage for England.

Last night, England secured their place in the Euro 2024 semi-finals after prevailing on penalties against Switzerland.

The Three Lions went behind in ninety minutes but a stunning Bukayo Saka equaliser took the game to extra time while Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa received plenty of plaudits for his composed display.

Konsa was starting for the first time at Euro 2024 in place of the suspended Marc Guehi and the 26-year-old didn't put a foot wrong.

Part of a back three with Kyle Walker and John Stones as Gareth Southgate made a tactical switch, the Villa star was inarguably one of the best performers on the pitch, with Danny Murphy left wowed by his display.

Konsa was thrust into the biggest game of his career and he put in a flawless performance in his 76 minutes on the pitch, leaving Micah Richards very impressed.

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"Can you control your nerves? Can you do the basics very well? And he has done all of these things. I just think his overall game has been fantastic. He has been excellent, he really has."

That wasn't the only time Richards waxed lyrical about the Villa stalwart, as speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast, he said he was most 'impressed' by Konsa of any England player, saying: "From my point of view, I really liked Konsa coming into the side. We talked massively about Guehi being out of the team and suspended. I thought Konsa did really well."

Ezri Konsa showcasing his talent to the world Having watched the former Brentford man flourish under Unai Emery last term, every Villa supporter knew he wouldn't shirk the responsibility of turning up for the big occasion.

An incredible ball-playing centre-back, who has been dubbed one of the best one-on-one defenders in the Premier League, Konsa is simply phenomenal at reading the game and displaying calmness in possession.

He showcased those attributes for England against Switzerland and perfectly replaced Guehi, who could now find it difficult to break back into the starting XI for Wednesday's semi-final against the Netherlands.

Konsa's near-perfect display has now given Southgate a selection headache, as while the Villa man was flawless, Guehi has been one of the Three Lions' best performers at this tournament.

That said, surely after commanding a defence in the manner he did on his full tournament debut, that warrants Konsa keeping his place in the side.