Unai Emery could already have the next John McGinn in his ranks at Aston Villa, with one academy star showing his quality in action last night.
It’s been a week to remember for Aston Villa, who secured Champions League football on Tuesday night as a result of Tottenham’s defeat to Manchester City.
The Villans will play amongst Europe’s elite next season having confirmed a fourth-place finish in the league, with Unai Emery’s project continuing to thrive at Villa Park.
While the first team’s achievements will capture the most attention, there has been success elsewhere at the club this week, with Villa’s academy winning the Birmingham Senior Cup on Wednesday evening against Racing Club Warwick.
A spectacular 9-0 victory at Villa Park saw the Villans win the trophy for the first time since 1985, with a host of upcoming talent showing their worth on the night.
One player who stood out was 17-year-old Aidan Borland, who scored and claimed the Man of the Match award for his display in midfield, a performance he would have hoped Emery might have seen.
Aidan Borland signed a professional contract at Aston Villa this year
Having turned 17 last month, Villa handed the talented Scotsman his first professional contract, after signing from Celtic in the summer of 2023.
Throughout the 2023/24 campaign, the midfielder has been playing for the U21s, telling of just how high a level he is displaying so early into his career.
At the point of him penning a deal with Villa, academy manager Mark Harrison lauded the youngster as an ‘intelligent’ and ‘technically efficient’ member of the academy.
“He is an intelligent, hard-working, technically efficient midfielder with the ability to score from long range.”
Deployed as a central midfielder with a skill set that covers both the combative and progressive requirements in the engine room, Borland is certainly a player whose development should be watched closely at Bodymoor Heath.
Aidan Borland could be Unai Emery’s next John McGinn
Showing versatility in his ability to both protect the central channels and drive forward, the 17-year-old could follow in the footsteps of one of Emery’s favourites in the first team.
John McGinn plays a similar role in the senior squad, with the well-rounded 29-year-old becoming an integral part of the project at Villa Park, rising with Villa from the Championship to the Champions League.
The Villa captain has shown his adaptability, being able to play in both central midfield roles, as well as being utilised on the flank thanks to his versatility, with Borland showing mirrored strengths in attack this term, claiming four assists in eight U18 league appearances.
McGinn himself has shown attention to Borland before, commending the young Scotsman’s contribution to the U21’s last month, also applauding fellow Scot, Rory Wilson.
Earlier this season, the teenager was spotted in first-team training with Emery’s side, hinting at how highly the boss regards the youngster already.
As time passes at Villa Park, the squad will eventually begin to phase some of the best young talents into the first team, with Borland’s early career in the Midlands suggesting that he could be one of the next ‘big things’ in Birmingham, playing at U21 level at the age of 16 for the majority of the season.
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