Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey is ‘quicker with the ball’ than without it, as he told BT Sport.
The former centre-back added that it’s ‘beautiful to see’ the glimpses of quality the boyhood Villa fan is showing at such a young age.
The 20-year-old was one of the stars of the show on Wednesday night as Villa recorded a 3-3 draw against Leeds.
Ramsey netted a brace against Marcelo Bielsa’s men and showcased a great understanding with Villa’s new hero, Philippe Coutinho.
Ferdinand loves what he is seeing from the ball-carrying expert and how quickly he runs with the ball.
“Up until the (equalising) goal,” said Ferdinand. “Ramsey was the only one where you thought ‘he could spark this game into light’.
“He made a break from midfield with the ball. He looked quicker with it, than without it and all of a sudden, he came to light.
“He’s not far off (England). The glimpses he is showing us, at the moment, for a kid so young, the lack of experience and exposure he has got at this level, is beautiful to see.
“We love watching young players. They are the ones we want to come to the stadium and watch. He is another one where we are looking and thinking ‘what is that going to look like in two or three years’.”
The progression Ramsey has made ever since making his Villa debut as a 17-year-old under Dean Smith is quite staggering.
Even prior to his debut, Smith would allow the Villa attacker to train with the first team as a 16-year-old because he saw something in his game pretty much straight away.
And now he is showcasing why Smith showed so much belief in him because, under Steven Gerrard, he has gone to another level.
Even during these past few months, his speed, ball-carrying ability and decision-making in the final third has gone up a few notches.
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