U23 & U18 Premier League Preview - Episode 3: Aston Villa
Liverpool twice learned that this Aston Villa academy is nothing to be sneered at. The U23 side pushed Liverpool’s first XI hard and although the result was a 4-1 defeat, the teenagers came out of the game rightly proud of their performance on the night. Later that season, Aston Villa’s U18s overcame Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup final with an excellent showing at Villa Park.
As those performances perfectly displayed, Aston Villa have a strong batch of young players with a real shot of coming through into the first team of a solidly mid-table Premier League club. It is an exciting time to be at Aston Villa. The last time Villa had a successful youth team was in 2013 when their U19 team won the NextGen Series (a short lived and vastly superior tournament to UEFA’s Youth Champions League)… they got Jack Grealish out of that team and would love a similar result once again.
| U23 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Viljami Sinisalo |
| CB | Dominic Revan |
| CB | Mungo Bridge |
| RB | Mamadou Sylla |
| LB | Ben Chrisene |
| CM | Aaron Ramsey |
| CM | Carney Chukwuemeka |
| CM | Lamare Bogarde |
| RW | Tyreik Wright |
| LW | Jaden Philogene-Bidace |
| CF | Louie Barry |
| U18 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Oliwier Zych |
| CB | Sil Swinkels |
| CB | Aaron O’Riley |
| RB | Frankie Ealing |
| LB | Jayden Barber |
| CM | Tommi O’Riley |
| CM | Taylor-Jay Hart |
| CM | Finley Munroe |
| RW | Kahrel Reddin |
| LW | Dewain Sewell |
| CF | Chisom Afoka |
Players in Profile - Three to Watch in 2021/2022
Jacob Ramsey
- Position: CM
- Age: 20
- Nationality: English
An athletic ‘do-it-all’ midfielder, Ramsey is slowly growing his way into a regular role with the Aston Villa first team, managing 846 minutes last season building on a short (but strong) loan spell with Doncaster Rovers at the back end of the 19/20 season. After contributing three goals for Doncaster in seven appearances he was brought back to Villa and stayed in and around the first team squad becoming a regular substitute by the run-in. Ramsey is probably one those young players who will benefit from the five substitution rule allowing him to get minutes he otherwise may not have managed. Ramsey looks like a prototypical modern midfielder and should be able to build on a good end to last season.
Louie Barry (on loan to Ipswich Town)
- Position: LW
- Age: 18
- Nationality: English
This comparison felt so lazy and I tried really hard to avoid making it, I really did, but it’s inescapable that Barry looks and plays in a very similar style to his star teammate, Jack Grealish. Having first made national headlines as a fifteen-year-old leaving West Brom for Barcelona, the England U18 international quietly returned to the Midlands just six months later with a variety of issues mostly out of his control - not least coaching changes at Barcelona - spoiling his chances of success with the Catalan giants. Aston Villa swooped and Barry hasn’t looked back, although as he has matured and developed he has moved from a free scoring central striker to a tricky winger who loves to drive into the penalty area - a transition perhaps aided by working closely with Grealish regularly. It’s a smart move allowing for more first team chances by being versatile enough to play multiple roles - Barry will be pushing hard for first team action this season.
Edit: Has now joined Ipswich Town on loan for the 2021/22 season
Carney Chukwuemeka
- Position: CM
- Age: 17
- Nationality: English
England U18 international is a long-legged, ultra talented midfielder who is a dominant player on every pitch he touches. Strong, quick and capable of driving through midfield, he is a nightmare to stop and seeing him barely break stride as desperate opposition defenders are dragged along behind him is not a rare occurrence. Being just seventeen he was also able to step down and play in the Youth Cup where he registered a ridiculous return of seven goals and two assists from six appearances. His talent was rewarded at the end of last season with two appearances in the Premier League, including an impressive seventeen minute cameo against Chelsea. Chukwuemeka is a star in the making and I would not be surprised if he is a regular in the match day squad this season even at his tender age.