Kamara: It feels good to be back

Boubacar Kamara spoke of his happiness after making his return to first-team action following an extended spell on the sidelines.

The Aston Villa midfielder, now sporting the No.8 shirt, made his long-awaited comeback as a second-half substitute in Tuesday’s 3-1 pre-season victory over BG Pathum United in Bangkok.

It was the latest step of Kamara’s rehabilitation having been unavailable since mid-January due to a knee injury.

“It feels good to be back,” the Frenchman told VillaTV post-match.

“I’ve waited for this moment.

“I’ve worked hard during my rehab, for coming back stronger, so I’m happy to be here.”

And Kamara duly marked his return with a goal just one minute after stepping off the bench – making an instant impact.

The hosts could only half-clear Ian Maatsen’s low cross, the ball fell to George Hemmings and he laid it back for Kamara to find the bottom corner from just inside the area.

“I didn’t expect to score, it’s good,” he added.

“It’s good for the head. This goal will give me more confidence and I need to keep going.”

It was a second successive 3-1 victory for Unai Emery’s side, with the triumph in Thailand coming after last Saturday’s win over Indonesia All Stars.

The Villans now head to Hong Kong for the last leg of the club’s Asia pre-season tour, with a test against Bayern Munich lying in wait on Friday (ko 1pm UK time).

Reflecting on the trip so far, Kamara spoke about how the conditions will aid Villa’s 2026/27 preparations.

“It’s very hot, it’s difficult to breathe. The humidity is hard,” he said.

“But’s it’s good, it’s good for the body.

“So when we come back to England, we’ll feel better.”

Watch Kamara's full post-match interview with VillaTV now, by clicking below.