The former midfielder is very impressed with Onana based on his early-season performances.
Villa have needed to adjust to replacing Douglas Luiz with Onana this summer, but the adaptation seems to be paying off.
"Onana is the one that stands out after his first couple of performances. With the energy he brings into the team, he’s a completely different player than Douglas Luiz," the club legend told Gambling.com.
"The position he plays, especially in that holding role, is a position that is never thankful for a player. It's always good when the team plays well and you can see the little bits and pieces that he does.
"But what I like is the way he presses and his energy, he does cover a lot of ground. He helps the team when they press high, and his transition from when they have the ball to when the team is in trouble, makes a big difference for Villa at the moment."