Callum O’Hare is so often the star of Aston Villa’s Under 23s – but Rushian Hepburn-Murphy was the hero in the Premier League Cup.
Aston Villa fans were very impressed with Rushian Hepburn-Murphy’s performance in the U23 Premier League Cup clash with Middlesbrough on Monday – and rightly so.
The score was 1-0 to Boro heading into the final seconds of the competition quarter finals, until Hepburn-Murphy slammed home from close range after Villa had launched a long and desperate ball into the hosts’ penalty area.
And, right at the end of first-half in added time, RHM did it again – another poachers’ finish, this time with his head, firing Aston Villa into the semis.
The 19-year-old has now scored seven goals in six games for Villa’s U23s since returning from a long injury lay-off. And with no striker in Steve Bruce’s first-team in particularly prolific form right now, Villa fans are lining up to demand Hepburn-Murphy be given a chance at senior level with a place in the play-offs seemingly assured.
And, understandably, Hepburn-Murphy was a popular figure with his U23 team-mates on Monday night, the prestigious Callum O’Hare sharing the love on Twitter before lauding his side for their fighting spirit and their refusal to give up in the face of adversity.
O’Hare has made a smattering of first-team appearances himself this season – he and Hepburn-Murphy may just be the future of Aston Villa.
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