In a World Cup dominated by the biggest names, Johan Manzambi has been the exception to the rule. With more goals than starts for Switzerland, he has been a breakout star, earning his big move after one full season as a starter at Freiburg.

The 20-year-old talent rejected an offer from Newcastle United to sign for Aston Villa, Freiburg's conquerors in the Europa League final in May. A price of £49m reflects Manzambi's rapid rise, although his summer could have been even more spectacular.

After his man-of-the-match display against Bosnia-Herzegovina - scoring twice after coming on in the 71st minute - he scored and assisted against Canada. But he missed the quarter-final defeat to Argentina with a minor injury to leave a country wondering.

Could he have driven them on against ageing opposition in extra-time? Would Switzerland have even needed extra-time with Manzambi around? "We missed him massively," Bruno Berner tells Sky Sports. "He would have given us something different."

'We have a diamond now'

Berner is a former Switzerland international who, like Manzambi, played for Freiburg before making the move to the Premier League. He went on to coach Switzerland's age-group teams and was well aware of the young talent emerging in Servette's academy.

"He was not mentioned at all in the media but we know our players in Switzerland, let us put it that way. To be fair, though, a lot of people are positively surprised about his development at Freiburg. I am very pleased. We have a diamond now in our attack."

That Berner uses the word 'attack' is interesting in itself because Manzambi is a difficult player to pin down, in more ways than one. He describes himself as a box-to-box midfielder but is equally capable of operating on the wings or in an advanced No 10 role.

After his extraordinary impact against Bosnia, Murat Yakin described Manzambi as "a street footballer, the kind who needs to be given freedom" in the opposition half of the pitch. "We can use him flexibly, more defensively in midfield, but also on the wing."

'He always has an idea'

The Switzerland head coach highlighted his rare knack for goals, his ability to dribble with the ball and to press the opponent - all of which is there in his numbers for Freiburg. Manzambi is an intriguing prospect partly because of the breadth of his skills.

He ranked in the top 20 players in the Bundesliga last season for possessions won in the middle third of the pitch and take-ons completed. He won 146 ground duels, ranking fourth on that metric, and was also by far the most fouled player in the competition.

"He is very comfortable in one-on-one situations because he has a very good technique," says Berner. "He knows what to do with the ball. He has always an idea and it is hard to get him off the ball because, while not the biggest, he is incredibly agile."

He adds: "The first touch is just super important and this is where you see the real technique. His is brilliant. And obviously, he can score goals or assist his teammates. I love him and it is a joy to watch him play. And he always shows up in important games."

That trait of rising to the occasions predates the World Cup and has been apparent from the very start of his career, scoring off the bench against Borussia Monchengladbach in April of last year before he had even made his full debut for Freiburg in the Bundesliga.

'He is a flexible player'

This past season, he scored home and away against Bayern Munich. Nobody else in the Bundesliga managed that. Two players did it in the Champions League. Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid and Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain. Good company to be in.

"When I was a child, Manuel Neuer was my role model," Manzambi told Sky in Germany recently. "I have already scored two goals against him." Even those goals showcase the different aspects to his game. One was a header, the other a classy finish from distance.

That has been something of a trademark for Manzambi at Freiburg, even thought he has been playing in midfield. There was a similar goal against Mainz coming in from the left. He has had success when cutting inside from that left channel and driving towards goal.

"You can use him in different positions but I would say I rather see him wide. And then it depends what you want. If you want him to go behind the defensive line, you put him on the right. If you want him to come more inside, you put him on the left," explains Berner.

"For him, it does not matter if he is on the left or the right. He can play in both positions. But I do think he likes to rotate with other players, because he is a flexible player. He likes to play for teams where they rotate a bit. I do not see him just fixed in one position."

'Emery will suit Manzambi'

How will that work at Villa? A more central role appears likely given the sale of Youri Tielemans to Manchester United and the anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by Amadou Onana at the World Cup. Unai Emery needs bodies in the centre of the pitch.

But this is a coach who values versatility highly. It is a word that he brings up often when explaining the logic behind a new signing. With those players he has worked with for a long time, moving them high or deep, wide or central, is all part of his tactical tinkering.

Berner is convinced that Emery is the right man to aid Manzambi's development. "Working with Emery is the best thing that could happen to him, in my opinion. Emery has a very specific way of coaching players and I think it would really suit Manzambi."

Why? "Because it matches with Freiburg and their philosophy, the way that they coach. Emery, like a lot of Basque coaches, has a style that involves the player in the coaching. It is not just a case of telling them what to do. He encourages them to do the analysis."

There is a story about Manzambi's early days at Freiburg, playing for the second team, when he challenged the coach on the game plan because he really wanted to understand it. That is unusual but it is an appetite for the game that Emery will relish.

"We all know that foreign players sometimes they need time to adapt to the Premier League, even if they come from other major leagues. Signing for Villa is going to be massive for him. Working with Emery, it is a major step in his career, that is for sure."

But the lesson of Johan Manzambi's career so far is that when there is a major step for him to make, he exceeds all expectations.