The youngster was introduced off the bench with half an hour to go and turned the game around as Aston Villa defeated Wolves.
In a dismal 2016/17 season, the progression of Jordan Lyden at least allowed Aston Villa supporters the briefest glimmer of optimism.
The talented Australian midfielder made four appearances in the latter stages of last season and, while he won’t thank Remi Garde for handing him his Premier League debut five goals down into that humiliating home defeat to Liverpool, a string of cameo performances suggested that this could be his breakthrough year.
However, injury problems put pay to his chances of starting the season in the first-team plans. Consequently, just like the previous campaign, the 21-year-old could be steadily exposed to professional action in the final stretch of the season with very little to play for.
And his matchwinning performance for the Under-23s against Wolves on Monday suggest that he is ready and willing to step up, especially with eight first teamers currently ruled out through injury. The pre-match talk and post-match discussion had centred around trialist Christopher Samba’s (below) 60 minute performance but, in truth, it was Lyden’s half-hour cameo that stole the show.
The Australian stamped his authority on the midfield immediately, playing in a more advanced role his one-touch passing wreaked havoc and his equalising goal 15 minutes after his introduction was class personified. He won the penalty too, from which Villa sealed the win.
Steve Bruce may have expected Samba to force his way into Villa’s first-team thoughts but Lyden has shown once again that the senior game beckons.
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