As Aston Villa enjoy the rewards of a focus on the club’s Youth Academy, Cameron Archer is emerging as one of the leading talents from the current crop of youngsters.
Carney Chukwuemeka, Jaden Philogene-Bidace and the young side that lifted the FA Youth Cup last season have all become real beacons of hope for the future at the club, with Villa hoping to blood many of them through to the senior side in the coming years.
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A number of them have been allowed to leave on loan in order to secure regular playing time and gain valuable experience, while a handful are still at Villa and continue to float between the age groups in order to get minutes and try to stake a claim for a regular spot at senior level.
Jacob Ramsey is perhaps the latest role model for this current group of talented starlets at the club, which just so happens to include his younger brother Aaron, with the Villa youth product cementing his place in Dean Smith’s side so far this season and proving that we can find answers from within as opposed to splashing out big transfer fees on new signings.
Of all the names that have emerged over the last 18 months or so though, it’s Archer who is seemingly making the most noise as he continued his fine form this week.
Archer’s prolific goalscoring paving way for senior Villa role
As noted by Villa coach Craig Shakespeare in late August, Archer’s rise has been quite incredible. From impressing in our pre-season training camp to scoring a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup to now knocking on the door week in and week out to get minutes at the top level in the Premier League.
The 19-year-old has been excellent when featuring this season at all levels, as reflected in his tally of 10 goals in eight games across all competitions thus far.
Archer’s finishing on Tuesday night in the EFL Trophy win over Burton Albion was sensational, as seen in the video below, and it’s this level of clinical play that will get him chances under Smith moving forward.
Cameron Archer's hat-trick last night…👏🏽🎯#avfc #UTVpic.twitter.com/qrWn2gpJNy
— Talk Villa (@thetalkvilla) October 6, 2021
Villa’s exit from the Carabao Cup hurts Archer as that was an obvious opportunity to give him playing time, along with the likes of Chukwuemeka and Philogene-Bidace.
Nevertheless, with the FA Cup coming into play in a couple of months time as well as the fact that Villa seemingly can’t put out a full strength XI this season due to fitness, injury, Covid or international commitment issues, it opens the door for our youngsters to get on the pitch.
Archer will be hoping to do exactly that as he waits to net his first Premier League goal, and while he’ll have to bide his time with Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings ahead of him in the pecking order, Villa clearly have a real talent on our hands and it’s hoped that we give Archer the chance to improve, develop and become a mainstay in this squad moving forward.