Forgotten Aston Villa player on verge of football history after Europa League final win

A forgotten player remains in line to create an incredible piece of football history following Aston Villa's 3-0 win against Freiburg in the Europa League final.

Villa went 2-0 up at half-time in Istanbul through a pair of stunning strikes from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia.

Morgan Rogers then made it 3-0 to Unai Emery's side on 57 minutes.

Villa controlled much of the contest against their German opposition, and have won their first major trophy since 1996.

Emery also equals the record as the most successful manager in Europa League history, winning the competition on no fewer than five occasions.

But the win could also become extremely significant, for a totally different reason, for one player in particular.

Aston Villa player closes in / misses out on European history

One player who was not involved at Besiktas Park was Ivory Coast international forward Evann Guessand.

Guessand was one of only two permanent senior signings made by Villa last summer, joining the club from Reims for an initial fee of £30.5 million.

But the forward was loaned out to Crystal Palace in January, and has spent the second half of the season at Selhurst Park.

Guessand has made five appearances for Palace in helping them to reach the Conference League final, where they take on Spanish side Rayo Vallecano next Wednesday.

The 24-year-old also made seven appearances for Villa during the Europa League group stages, scoring two goals.

Evann Guessand has made 12 appearances across multiple European competitions this season (Image: Getty)

That meant he would be eligible for a Europa League and Conference League winners' medal, having made enough appearances across both competitions to qualify.

No player in European football history has ever won two continental competitions in the same season.

Guessand suffered a knee injury during the Conference League quarter-final against Fiorentina in March, but returned to action as a stoppage time substitute in Sunday's 2-2 draw against Brentford.

The 24-year-old is reportedly set to sign permanently this summer for Palace, who remain on the lookout for a replacement for departing manager Oliver Glasner.