Tammy Abraham has scored 20 Championship goals for Aston Villa since arriving on loan from Chelsea.
Aston Villa legend Peter Withe has hit back at the critics who have questioned the achievements of Tammy Abraham in front of goal this season, while speaking to the club’s official website.
Abraham has been a revelation since joining Villa on loan from Chelsea in the summer, scoring 20 goals in just 25 Championship starts as he looks to better his tally from that stellar 2016/17 spell at Bristol City.
It is a credit to the 21-year-old that he has continued his remarkable rate of progress throughout rumours linking him with a move away from Villa during the January transfer window, The Sun reporting that Midland rivals Wolves had offered Chelsea a staggering £18 million.
And Peter Withe has now paid tribute to Abraham’s impact at Villa Park, pointing out that cynics should not play down his remarkable goal-scoring feat despite the fact that he is playing in the second tier.
“It’s a big well done to Tammy,” said Withe, who scored the winner as Aston Villa beat Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup final.
“I’ve had people say to me ‘it’s not in the top-flight’. I always reply ‘yes, but it’s still a big achievement and shouldn’t be underestimated.’
“I have great respect for him, too, because he had the chance to go to the Premier League but he chose to stay with us here at Villa.”
Whether Abraham’s goals will be enough to guide Villa into the play-offs remains to be seen. Dean Smith’s side are tenth in the table and six points adrift with their sloppy defensive displays often overshadowing their quality going forward.
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