Aston Villa have confirmed that Tommi O’Reilly has signed a new contract with the club as he continues to impress at youth level.
The 20-year-old has scored three goals and provided eight assists in 13 appearances so far this season, and while he has been included in a number of match-day squads for the senior side under Unai Emery, he made his debut for the first-team in the Europa Conference League in December.
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With great technical ability, creativity and an eye for goal with his play in the final third, he has shown really positive signs to date and looks a real talent.
As per the club’s statement, O’Reilly has put pen to paper on a new deal, albeit further details of the agreement aren’t confirmed as it’s unclear as to how long he has extended his stay for.
Nevertheless, it’s great news given the talent and potential that he possesses, and it’s certainly hoped that he has a big future ahead of him in a Villa shirt.
“We are delighted to see Tommi sign his new contract,” Academy manager Mark Harrison said. “It’s a great reflection of his hard work and development over the last couple of years, especially as he’s been registered with us since the age of nine.
“I would like to thank Tommi’s family and all the staff who have been involved in his development. We look forward to seeing how his career develops.”
With this new deal in place, not only does it secure his future, but it remains to be seen what the next stage of O’Reilly’s development involves. Villa could choose to keep him at the club and bring him through internally, or send him out on loan to gain valuable playing time and experience at a high level elsewhere instead.
Ultimately, we always hope that our youth players can make the step up and enjoy a breakthrough at senior level, but as we’ve seen with the likes of Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey in recent times, they could also have a vital role to play if we opt to move them on and generate significant profits from their sales.
Time will tell which path O’Reilly goes down, but for now, it’s brilliant to see him commit his future to Villa and focus on continuing to impress.