Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce is not afraid to give young players a chance – but is Mitchell Clark the next in line?
Another game, another position for Aston Villa youngster Mitchell Clark. The 18-year-old is one of the most highly-rated prospects in Villa’s academy right now and his performances for the club’s Under-23s are doing his long-term prospects no harm at all.
Villa cruised to a 4-0 win against Southampton on Monday night and, while Callum O’Hare (below) and Jake Doyle-Hayes enhanced their reputation, Clark’s performance in the centre of defence did not go unnoticed.
The reliable Welsh youngster barely put a foot wrong alongside captain Easah Suliman. But what was not notable about his performance was his position.
Clark, after all, is a right-back by trade and has played the majority of his games in Villa’s academy in his preferred position. However, when making a well-deserved senior bow in the 4-1 thrashing of Wigan Athletic in the EFL Cup last month, Clark pitched in at left-back and performed impressively.
When a young player is eager to prove himself to his manager, the ability to play in a variety of different positons certainly doesn’t do him any harm. And the all-too-rare adaptability that allows Clark to fill in anywhere across the back four will surely not have gone unnoticed by Villa boss Steve Bruce.
The manager has spoken frequently about his desire to bring youth team players into the first-team fold and the likes of Andre Green and Keinan Davis have evolved into regulars in the starting XI in the opening weeks of the new season.
The ever-reliable Clark could be next in line – especially with Villa a little light when it comes to quality in reserve at full-back.
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