Lamare Bogarde profile: Dutch youth captain maturing quicker than expected at Aston Villa
Lamare Bogarde is one of several burgeoning talents in the Aston Villa academy and is maturing at a rate that could see him impact first-team proceedings in the foreseeable future.
Capable of operating both as a centre-back and as a holding midfielder, the 18-year-old suits Unai Emery’s blueprint to perfection – proving himself a calm and composed operator on the ball and willing to play out from the back when required.
The Spaniard recently offered Bogarde the opportunity to train with the first team during the World Cup break, and Lombarde was duly given a taste of first-team football – coming on as a second-half substitute during Villa’s Peter Whittingham Memorial Match against Cardiff City.
Here Villa News look at the youngster’s journey from grassroots football to the Aston Villa first-team squad.
The Dutchman started his footballing career at Feyenoord academy and stayed there until 2020 when Aston Villa came calling.
Bogarde was hot property after an impressive stint at the Dutch club, with Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham all scouting him and his brother during their time on the continent.
Villa managed to snap up the youngster before new Brexit rules, which could have blocked his transfer, were introduced, and academy chief Mark Harrison subsequently got to work with the 6ft 1in defender.
Throughout the 2020/2021 season, the Dutchman was ever-present in the Under 18s side and proved himself a key cog in their FA Youth Cup victory in May 2021.
The raw but undoubtedly talented defender made his first-team debut for the club in January 2021 in the FA Cup third-round tie against Liverpool at Villa Park. The youngster was named in the starting lineup for the 4-1 loss and has been knocking on the door for more game time ever since.
Bogarde has also proven himself an astute leader, captaining a number of Netherlands’ Youth sides and displaying a growing maturity during his stints for the Under-15s, 16s and 18s teams.
The youngster’s performances over the 2021/22 season earnt him a new long-term contract with Villa, joining the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Tim Irogbunam in penning new deals in the summer.
During the summer, the Dutchman was included in Steven Gerrard’s pre-season tour of Australia, which was packed with international stars, and the hope is that getting used to these new surroundings at such a young age will reap the rewards in the coming seasons.
After penning Bogarde down to a new contract and working hard at getting him physically ready for first-team football, the fruits of their labours might be about to shine through.
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