View: Aston Villa starlet Rory Wilson set for big things after Scotland U21 debut
With Aston Villa now looking ahead to a trip to Leeds United on Sunday afternoon, they await the return of a number of international players.
Steven Gerrard will be most keen to see the senior contingent get back to Bodymoor so they can prepare to take on Jesse Marsch’s Whites at Elland Road but another, much younger Villan caught the eye.
On Thursday (22 September), Scotland’s Under-21 side beat Northern Ireland 3-1 and while there were no goals from any Villa player on the night, one did come off the bench to make his debut for the Tartan Army at that level.
16-year-old striker Rory Wilson was only signed by Aston Villa in July from Rangers after he scored more than 40 goals in all competitions north of the border.
He had previously been a Scottish Under-17 international but made the giant leap to the Under-21s this past week although he did not come off the bench in a second game against Northern Ireland on Sunday.
There might not have been a goal in the short time Wilson was on the pitch but to play for the Under-21s at just 16 years of age shows an incredible amount of ability and maturity.
Gerrard won’t be considering him for a senior appearance at Villa Park anytime soon but he will have certainly taken a mental note to keep an eye on the teenager and his progress through the ranks.
Having spent a compensation fee of around £400,000 to bring him to England from Ibrox, Aston Villa will be keen to get the best out of him and once he has found his feet in the club’s academy and started to bang in the goals, his promotion to the senior squad seems inevitable.
In other Aston Villa news, the club have been unable to confirm their payment of sub-contractors as two other Premier League clubs remain quiet on the matter.