'Villa can be this season's Dortmund'

NEW MAN MALEN URGES UNAI'S SIDE TO BELIEVE

- Neil Moxley

DONYELL MALEN has a simple message for Aston Villa's players in the Champions League: Dream big - it happened to me, so it can happen here.

Unai Emery traded up by selling Jaden Philogene to Ipswich and replacing him "for a comparable £21million fee " with a Holland forward boasting bags of experience and proven pedigree.

Although Malen, 26, is ineligible for tonight's clash with Monaco at the Louis II Stadium, he can play in the knockout stages.

He told Emery's Villa players that his run to the final with Borussia Dortmund last season proves anything is possible.

Malen said: "Last year, in the group stage we had Newcastle, Milan and Paris Saint-Germain " people said right away, 'They're out'. But we picked up a lot of points, made it through and then got a decent draw.