The defensive midfielder has committed his future to Aston Villa.
Aston Villa may not have been forced to take a sizeable chunk out of Tony Xia’s hard-earned fortune had they decided against discarding some of their brightest young talents.
After all, just last season, the released Marc Albrighton (below) lifted the Premier League title with Leicester City while Gary Cahill, sold on the cheap to Bolton Wanderers, is on the verge of replicating the feat. Furthermore, while the Midlands club spent big on Henri Lansbury and Conor Hourihane, one-time academy star Barry Bannan continues to shine at Sheffield Wednesday.
No wonder manager Steve Bruce is so determined the club learn from their mistakes, as reported by the Birmingham Mail.
“This club has always prided itself on its academy but over the last few years we have lost some good players in the city because we have found that side of things difficult too,” Bruce lamented.
“That’s what we’re still trying to put right. Everywhere I look, we’ve let good players leave the club. Barry Bannan (below) in particular, there’s another one down the road who has just won the Premier League.
“We have produced some very good players over the years, one in particular is the captain of Chelsea.”
However, Villa fans can at least take a positive in knowing that Bruce has identified the problem and is at least attempting to rectify it.
According to the Birmingham Mail, Villa have handed a professional contract to under-18 star Alex Prosser. The defensive midfielder, a strong, physical presence in the centre of the park, is highly regarded within the walls of Bodymoor Heath and fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the future of one of their most exciting prospects is secured.
The challenge now, however, is to make use of his potential while also ensuring he does not end up captaining another side to Premier League glory just a season after being let go.
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