Aston Villa fans may remember the name Dan Crowley.
Whilst Jack Grealish is flourishing for Aston Villa’s first team, another of their former youth prospects is having to take a different route to stardom.
Dan Crowley was a wonderkid for Villa; he was so good at a young age that he played for the Under-16’s at age 12 and Under-18’s aged 15, always playing at a higher age bracket.
In 2014 though, Villa were rocked as Crowley left to join Arsenal, where he was tipped to become a star, but never really managed to establish himself as he left in 2017 without making a first-team appearance.
Now 21, Crowley is thriving in the Netherlands, having joined Willem II after his Arsenal exit. This season, the midfielder has been in sensational form, notching six goals and 10 assists in 32 games for Willem.
Remarkably, Crowley is already wanted by huge clubs, just two years after being ditched by Arsenal. The Daily Mail report that European giants PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord are both keen on Crowley, with Championship clubs also looking.
With that in mind, Villa and Dean Smith should be looking to offer Crowley an emotional return to Villa Park, with the playmaker about to enter the final 12 months of his deal with Willem.
Skilful and creative whilst having his best years ahead of him, Crowley can provide another option in midfield for Smith, which would be key if Grealish moves on to a Premier League club this summer.
With question marks over the futures of veterans Mile Jedinak, Glenn Whelan and Birkir Bjarnason, adding some more young blood into Smith’s engine room could be a smart move, and Crowley may see a move back to Villa Park as a chance to redeem himself having made a switch to Arsenal which simply didn’t work out.
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