Located in the county of Warwickshire, Bodymoor Heath Training Ground has housed countless footballing talents representing Aston Villa.
Recently under the stewardship of Mark Harrison, the Villa faithful have seen many academy graduates star in Steven Gerrardβs squad out in Australia. From Kesler-Haydenβs relentless offensive play to Archerβs clinical edge in front of goal, Aston Villaβs energy has mostly been found in these youth players with desperation to impress at a senior level.
With the club sending 9 Academy players out on loan within English football for the second half of last season, Aston Villa recognises the importance of regular playing time. Suspecting the club to expertly utilise the loan market once more this Summer, I wanted to share my thoughts and predictions on where I believe some of the young stars will be at the end of the transfer window.
Cameron Archer
The 20-year-old has exponentially risen through the ranks of English football, from his loan move to Solihull Moors back in 2020 to now knocking on the door to contending within the striker department at Aston Villa. After a successful period on loan at Preston North End for the second half of last season, many of the Villa faithful are enthused by the forwardβs talent and feel he deserves the opportunity to fight for a place in Gerrardβs starting XI. I agree, Cameron Archer and the loan market should never be mentioned in the same sentence again, the Walsall-born star is ready and raring to go. In the company of Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins and Keinan Davis at Aston Villa, there is an element of fearlessness to Archerβs play that could easily see him go toe-to-toe with the clubβs regulars up front.
Equally, his performances in pre-season have been close to exemplary, frustrating defences with his pace, artfulness and high footballing intellect with perfectly timed runs and movements into the box. The footballing world needs to remember the name, Cameron Archer!
Jaden Philogene-Bidace
If we were to play word association, in regards to Philogene-Bidaceβs style of play the one prominent word would be electric. He may not be ready to complete regularly at Aston Villa yet itβs fair to say he possesses the fundamentals of a prolific, dangerous winger in the making.
Having sustained an injury in pre-season, unfortunately, fans have not been able to see him sport the famous claret and blue. Nevertheless, due to a lack of appearances within the first team, a loan move would be the most beneficiary for his development. As seen with Jadenβs loan move to Stoke City in 2022, the winger received many positive reactions to his performances for the Potters, oozing class and professionalism at such a young age. With an emphasis on not rushing his development, a loan move would be the best option for Philiogene-Bidace.
Tim Iroegbunam
A product of Mark Harrisonβs tenure as West Bromβs Academy Director, Tim Iroegbunam arrived at Aston Villa nearly a year ago on an undisclosed deal. Slowly being introduced into the first-team set-up last season, with many appearances on the bench as well as 3 substitute appearances, itβs clear to see that he is highly regarded by the club as a prospect. Either for Aston Villa or Englandβs Under 19βs, like many of the academy graduates from Bodymoor Heath, Iroegbunam plays with a high level of maturity, consistently astutely composed in possession.
Most importantly, what Iroegbunam is missing is experience. Spending his career so far primarily in academies, now is the time for Tim to make a loan move to not just grow as a player but ultimately as a character.
As Mark Harrison shared on Aston Villaβs official website, a loan move is key for any playerβs transition to regular first-team football.
βIβve seen that the loan programme is critical to player development. Recent stats show that over 80% of players who make their debut in the Premier League have had at least one loan. That would suggest that a loan has to play a part in that playerβs development,β Harrison said.
βWeβve shown that weβre very positive about allowing our players to go out on loan, how we support them and working with other clubs. We are building up a reputation that weβve got players who have potential, we are looking to get them out on loan earlier rather than later and we do want to work with clubs to facilitate that loan because we understand the experiences that they give them.β
Kaine Kesler-Hayden
Having progressed exceptionally through the clubβs academy system, Aston Villa possesses a full-back ready for the modern game with his intricate passing range and relentlessness, in and out of possession.
Especially during his cameos against Manchester United and Brisbane Roar this pre-season, Kesler-Hayden provided an energetic presence out wide which seriously troubled the opposition.
Matty Cash currently holds the position as Aston Villaβs right back after an impressive campaign last season, awarded Supporterβs Player of the Season back in May. Excelling internationally now with Poland, it will take some serious beating to take his position. Nevertheless, I believe Kesler-Hayden should be allowed to compete with Cash, having proved himself consistently in the EFL with Swindon Town and MK Dons. At 19 years old, he is a star in the making who deserves the opportunity to compete within Aston Villaβs first-team set-up.
Ultimately, if I were to address every Academy graduate then this piece would be incredibly long. Equally, with the omissions of individuals such as Carney Chukwuemeka, here we have a situation beyond this discussion. Itβs a real shame, as Carney will undoubtedly develop into a world-class talent yet he doesnβt trust or believe in Aston Villa to assist him with his development.
As Iβve reiterated multiple times, you canβt rush the development of a player. Carney featured a handful of times for Aston Villa last season and despite showing glimpses of potential, realistically he simply isnβt ready to play Premier League football yet. To deny the opportunity of a contract extension at Aston Villa in favour of the rumoured Barcelona, PSG is close to insanity. Unless they are willing to start him every game, which is highly unlikely, then he will be part of the substitutes and reserves like at Aston Villa.
Despite the exclusion of Carney Chukwuemeka, Aston Villaβs future still looks extremely promising. With players such as Louie Barry and Finn Azaz already out on loan, itβs clear to see that the club are dedicated to laying a strong foundation to create a footballing entity rich in talent and skill. As a supporter, it will certainly be interesting to see what comes next in the careers of the individuals in question.
AUTHOR | LIAM BRYAN
Authorβs UTV PODCAST archive Liam Bryan – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
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