Villa Player On Fire – Ouch

Aston Villa’s young midfielder Isaiah Osbourne has applauded fellow Academy graduate Gabby Agbonlahor for his impact this season and says there are more to come through the ranks.

‘Gabby has been on fire this season and that’s no surprise with the quality he possesses. He’s got so much pace and power. He was phenomenal for the reserves and academy sides and he’s definitely taking that form into the first team. It’s great to see. But we’ve got so many lads coming through the ranks. Craig Gardner is a really good player – a box to box midfielder – and Robert Olejnik is putting pressure on Thomas Sorensen and Stuart Taylor. Then we’ve got Sam Williams coming through. He’s done well when he’s been out on loan and he’s a player who has changed position from midfield to striker over the past few seasons.’

‘But he’s not the first. I started out as a striker, then moved to defence and finally ended up in midfield. It’s definitely my favourite position and I’m looking to make a real impression over the next few months.’

And on the youth system he added on the official site: ‘There’s been so many players come through the ranks at this club, going back many years, looking at the likes of Gareth Barry and Lee Hendrie through to players like Gary Cahill and Liam Ridgewell. That’s a real incentive for the lads at the club at the moment. They know if they work hard and they’re good enough, they’ll get a chance.’

Add to the mix a few quality additions and Villa will be a force to be reckoned with again.