Will these exciting Aston Villa prospects see first team action under Steve Bruce next season?
Aston Villa have a proud record of promoting talented young footballers – with current first-teamers Jack Grealish, Nathan Baker, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Gary Gardner all testament to a successful pathway from academy to senior football at Villa Park.
With Villa hopeful of a sustained promotion push next season, will manager Steve Bruce call upon any of these young talents at his disposal?
Andre Green
Green has already made two Premier League appearances for Villa and has also tasted first team action at various stages of the current campaign – featuring in 13 Championship games thus far.
The 18-year-old is the fifth youngest representative of the club and has represented England at Under 16, 17, 18 and 19 level. The two-footed winger has shown glimpses of outstanding wide play in recent months and could well be set to shine with increased regularity next term.
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy
Hepburn-Murphy became Aston Villa’s youngest ever representative in the Premier League when he replaced Christian Benteke during Villa’s 4-0 victory over Sunderland in March 2015. At the time, Hepburn Murphy was 16 years and 176 days old – which also made him the fourth youngest player in Premier League history.
The 18-year-old forward has played just three senior games for Villa since his debut in 2015 – perhaps due to a recent contract stand-off with the club. However, all seems to be forgiven – as Hepburn-Murphy recently signed a long-term deal to remain at Villa Park.
Easah Suliman
Having spent the first half of the 2016-17 campaign on loan at Cheltenham Town, defender Easah Suliman will be hoping for some first team action at Villa Park next season. The 19-year-old, who can play at right back or in central defence, has represented England from Under 16 to Under 19 level and is the first player of Asian heritage to captain a Three Lions team – having done so with the Under 16, Under 17 and Under 19 national sides.
Towards the end of his loan deal at Whaddon Road, Suliman signed a contract extension at Villa – with the club securing the defender’s services until 2019.
Niall Mason
Before signing with Aston Villa’s youth set-up in 2015, defender Niall Mason experienced spells in the youth academies of Real Madrid, Al Sadd and Blackburn Rovers. Once dubbed ‘Britain’s Youngest Galactico’, Mason spent three years with the Spanish giants from the age of seven – after being spotted at a football camp whilst on a family holiday.
Mason returned to the UK and, despite interest from other English teams, ultimately signed professional forms with Villa. Currently with well over 30 League Two appearances to his name this season, the highly-rated Mason is certainly benefitting from a loan spell as a first teamer at Doncaster Rovers.
Corey Blackett-Taylor
Having joined Villa’s academy at the age of nine, winger Corey-Blackett Taylor recently made his first team debut as a late substitute during the 1-0 Championship loss to Huddersfield.
The 19-year-old is a regular within the Under 21 set-up at Villa and has also bagged two goals in four international appearances for England Under 17s. However, it is Blackett-Taylor’s pace, power and ability on the ball that may catch the attention of Bruce over the coming months.
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