View: Aston Villa must manage Tim Iroegbunam carefully
Aston Villa have had plenty of success in recent years when it comes to younger players coming through the ranks at Villa Park.
Jacob Ramsey has been the biggest success, with the 21-year-old becoming one of Villa’s key men and one of the first names on the team sheet. Cameron Archer is another player who excelled and looks set to be given more first-team chances after his hot streak for Preston in the 2021/22 season.
However, Villa also have a couple of gems who are currently plying their trade in the EFL. Jaden Philogene is on loan with Cardiff City and Tim Iroegbunam is with Queen’s Park Rangers. 19-year-old Iroegbunam is a player who has caught the eye for the R’s during his loan spell in West London.
The combative midfielder has been a mainstay of Michael Beale’s side, who have enjoyed a solid start to their Championship campaign. Iroegbunam has featured for nearly 1300 minutes of second-tier football this season (Wyscout), which will be invaluable for the youngster when he does return to Villa.
Operating a in deeper lying role for Beale’s team, he has shown he can retain possession with a 90 per cent completion rate this season, as well as win his duels defensively with a 60 per cent success rate.
What is absolutely essential is that Villa don’t mismanage the youngster. There could be an eagerness to bring him back into the fold at Villa Park, and if that happens, it could well be detrimental to his development.
He simply has to be playing regularly until at least the age of 21, so when he does come into the first-team fray, he can make a real impact.
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