View: Academy goalkeeper Oliwier Zych could be the heir to Emi Martinez at Aston Villa
Although Aston Villa are currently in the capable hands of Emi Martinez in goal, the club are in short supply of capable successors if the worst were to happen and the Argentinian were to leave in a big-money transfer.
With back-up goalkeeper Robin Olsen looking less than comfortable since Unai Emery’s arrival with a string of sub-par performances, academy goalkeeper Oliwier Zych could be the long-term answer to this nagging question.
The 18-year-old goalkeeper was recently called up by the Poland Under-19 side for a training camp and subsequently captained the side to a 3-2 friendly victory over the Czech Republic. This was yet another huge step up in his ever-blossoming career and highlighted his strong leadership instincts at such a young age.
Having represented the Villa Under-21s 16 times and keeping five clean sheets for the Under-18s from 20 appearances, the 6ft 3in keeper was rewarded with a new contract at Villa Park in October last year.
The young shot-stopper is highly regarded among the corridors of power in the West Midlands and, given the right exposure at the right time, could well be a natural successor to Martinez’s throne as Villa’s No.1.
Zych was part of Steven Gerrard’s pre-season training camp in Australia last year, even at such a tender age, and he would have learnt a great deal from such exposure.
Emery has clearly also seen some talent in the teenager, having called him up to the mid-season training camp in Dubai due to Martinez’s World Cup absence. Throwing the youngster in at the deep end is usually a sign that the club wants to progress you through the ranks, and this is yet another indication of the investment shown in him.
With 30-year-old Jed Steer’s future at Villa Park very much in doubt and Olsen yet to make a proper impression when called upon by Emery, there will surely be a couple of vacancies in Emery’s goalkeeping reserves in the coming years.
It will be interesting to see how Zuych develops over the coming 18 months, but a loan in the football league could be the best way forward for both parties next season.
Hopefully, with some first-team experience under his belt, the Polish youth captain can make a claim as Martinez’s protégé at Villa Park.
In other Aston Villa news, Carla Ward must find a contingency plan in case Rachel Daly gets injured for her women’s side this season.