Following on from all the speculation the last few days, earlier this afternoon Aston Villa finally confirmed that Academy graduate Cameron Archer had now completed a loan move to Preston North End until the end of the current 2021/22 campaign.
Good luck at Preston, @CameronArcher_. 👊
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 24, 2022
With the highly rated 20-year-old striker signing a new long term contract at the club last month, eyebrows were raised when he seemed to drop out of first team contention after Steven Gerrard’s arrival, but getting him out for far more regular match minutes makes all the sense in the world given how he improved and kicked on during pre-season.
Having been given his bow by former head coach Den Smith back in 2019/20, Archer had to be patient and had a good loan spell out with Solihull Moors in 2020/21, but he made this season his breakthrough, hitting a hattrick in the EFL Cup tie against Barrow and following it up with a goal against Chelsea in the same competition. He also had great success in our EFL Trophy run and got some Premier League experience to boot.
Vital Villa’s Cameron Archer Forum Thread
He heads to Championship Deepdale with 10 goals for us in nine appearances, and there’s every expectation he’ll hit the ground running and play his part in helping to boost them up the table from the 15th place they currently sit in.
🎥 “I've monitored Cameron (Archer) for a while. When Steven (Gerrard) got the manager’s job at Aston Villa I bombarded him with calls to have him”
Villa striker Archer has joined Ryan Lowe’s #Preston North End on loan
MORE here ➡️ https://t.co/2CEIbpt7IN#pnefc #bbcefl #avfc pic.twitter.com/wxPMWxxVuZ
— BBC Sport Lancashire (@BBCLancsSport) January 24, 2022
Should be a great spell for the lad, and I know I won’t be alone in wishing him the best of luck.
Feel sorry for the defenders trying to stop this young lad
— Townsend (@STAUNT0N) January 24, 2022
Hat trick on your debut incoming lad. Do what you do best 🔥
— Bagsman Cam 🏹 (@TheHolte1874) January 24, 2022
Gonna miss him so much 😭One of my fav academy players.
— AVFC (@ZM_AVFC) January 24, 2022
Why send the club best finisher out on loan. Lad needed to be started ..good luck, Preston getting a baller
— DSG (@Dibz_69) January 24, 2022
Best of luck to him. Joining a good club in Preston and they’re getting a good one too. Really think he’s the striker who’s going to make it. Reminds me of Luke Moore/Gabby, when all the hype was about Moore underage, but Gabby surpassed him. Think Archer will do the same. #pnefc
— Brendan (@BrendanH3) January 24, 2022
Really interested to see how he gets on. I am sure he will smash it
— 𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼 (@AVFCStatto) January 24, 2022
Preston winning the league
— Aston🏴🍻 (@AVFC_Aston) January 24, 2022
Good luck Cameron , go smash it up for them and then come back ready for us in the summer. UTV 💜💙
— Tony Willis (@CockneyRebel12) January 24, 2022