The 24-year-old left-back arrived at Villa Park in the summer of 2024 and has since become an important member of Emery's squad. Having recently made his 100th appearance for the club, Maatsen has now committed his future to Aston Villa with a new agreement.
Speaking after signing, Maatsen highlighted the direction in which the club is moving and the influence of Emery as major reasons behind his decision.
“First of all, the way the club is progressing, in a good way. A big part of this way is the coach, the vision he sees in this club, and everyone around him, and also my teammates.
“I really enjoy it. He's really demanding, but he's a very good coach who really gets into the details. He wants to make sure everyone is on the same page with the same plan, and it works. It's a very good relationship.
“I feel at home here and I can develop here. It motivates me to bring this club to special things with them, and that's the reason I signed the contract.”
Maatsen's comments underline the importance of his relationship with Emery. The defender appreciates the manager's attention to detail and the demands he places on his players, believing that the clarity of the team's approach has helped him continue developing.
The Netherlands international also reflected on his favourite moments since joining Villa, with the club's European success standing out.
Villa's Europa League triumph last season and the celebrations that followed remain particularly special memories for the defender. He was proud to have contributed to a trophy that meant so much to the supporters after a long wait for silverware.
“On the pitch is probably the Europa League final. A big trophy for the club. We hadn't won [a trophy] in many years, so it was a good contribution for us as a team and a group, but also for the fans, for the club itself.
“The parade, to celebrate with the fans, the people in Birmingham, the local people, it was a very special day.
“It felt good. You see how big Birmingham is and we have a lot of Aston Villa fans. It's good for the city to celebrate with us, so it was an amazing day.”
For Maatsen, the celebrations demonstrated the connection between Villa and the city. The opportunity to help create those memories, while continuing to develop under Emery, has strengthened his desire to remain at the club.
Villa announced the new contract on Wednesday, securing the future of a defender who has become an important part of their plans.