Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has revealed he has big plans for teenage talent Tim Iroegbunam following his debut for the club this weekend in the Premier League.
Speaking to Villa TV, the Premier League boss expressed his excitement over the 19-year-old youngster, who made his first appearance for Villa this Saturday in the final stages of their 2-0 win against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Iroegbunam is the latest Villa academy star to make their first-team debut this season, with Gerrard’s side boasting an incredible array of youngsters who could one day make it into the senior squad as permanent members.
And Iroegbunam could just be one of them, with the former West Bromwich Albion academy graduate impressed in Villa’s youth set-up this campaign. For Gerrard, though, the youngster has caught the former Rangers manager’s eye.
The Villa boss said: “I went to watch him for the under-23s in the week, and he started a little bit slow and got sent off at the end but in the middle bit of the game he was outstanding and looked like a Premier League player.
Gerrard added about Villa’s newest prospect Iroegbunam: “He’s one I’m excited to keep developing and keep polishing up. He’s a great kid, humble, and needs to keep working.”
Villa youth revelation with Iroegbunam will win Gerrard praise
Iroegbunam’s debut for Villa capped off a perfect Saturday for Gerrard’s side, and his comments on continuing to develop the teenager will win the manager plaudits from both fans and pundits during his tenure at the club.
Indeed, Villa’s current crop of youth players is one of the most exciting in the country, and Gerrard publicly admitting he is eager to develop them into the senior squad is a strong long-term plan for the club that could flourish into something incredible if everything goes to plan.
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