Steve Bruce has barely wasted a chance to lavish praise on the Australian recently – so why would Aston Villa let him go?
It seems a long time ago that a number of Aston Villa supporters were writing off summer signing Mile Jedinak. However, with just over a month left to go in 2016/17, the follicly-blessed 32-year-old will surely rank among the frontrunners for the club’s Player of the Year award.
Whether holding the fort at the base of midfield or even dropping in at centre-back, Jedinak has become every bit as essential as talismanic top scorer Jonathan Kodjia – albeit without the headlines to back up his influence. Therefore, reports in The Sun that Villa could discard him in the summer appear to make little sense at all.
The publication claims that Villa boss Steve Bruce wants to add more quality to his side next season in preparation for a play-off push and Jedinak, reportedly one of the highest earners in the squad, could be sacrificed.
Yet, the former Crystal Palace captain, who led Ian Holloway’s side to promotion via the play-offs in 2013, is arguably irreplaceable in the current side. Therefore, why would Bruce attempt to improve his options by first discarding one of the first and most important names on his team-sheet?
After all, the manager trusts his on-pitch lieutenant to such an extent that he did not think twice about throwing him into the action against Norwich City just two days after he featured for 89 minutes in a World Cup qualifier against the UAE in Sydney.
“Big Mile you’ve got to take your hat off to him,” Bruce told the Birmingham Mail. “There’s not many players who would put their boots on today after being where he’s been with Australia.
“But there was never a hint of me leaving him out.”
That doesn’t exactly sound like a manager desperately trying to find a buyer.
Thought April fools was yesterday? #avfc https://t.co/TRmaV7wISy
— thevillazone (@thevillazone) April 2, 2017
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