Aston Villa loanee Finn Azaz can look to Conor Hourihane for Premier League inspiration – Sky Sports journalist
Aston Villa loanee Finn Azaz has reached a crossroads in his professional career, with his contract at Villa Park expiring at the end of the season and his future yet to be confirmed.
Azaz, 22, has been one of the standout Villa loanees this season at League One high-flyers Plymouth Argyle, becoming a mainstay in their attack and showing more than enough promise to leave Unai Emery with food for thought.
Despite suffering a broken ankle earlier in the season, Azaz, a tall and powerful playmaker, has still managed to score seven goals and contribute nine assists from 27 appearances this term.
Although the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international has shone in League One this campaign, he still faces several roadblocks between his current loan deal and securing first-team football at Villa Park.
Currently at Aston Villa, both Emi Buendia and Philippe Coutinho play in the same position as Azaz, and the 4-4-2 formation that the Emery has played since his arrival only allows space for one creative midfielder of this ilk.
Alongside the South American duo currently at Villa Park, Middlesbrough loanee and fellow academy graduate Aaron Ramsey is also fighting for this much-coveted position in the first-team.
Having thrived under Michael Carrick since his arrival at the Riverside Stadium, and considering Ramsey was also named in Lee Carsley’s England Under-21 squad, it seems like Azaz could be yet further down the pecking order at Aston Villa.
Speaking exclusively with Villa News, Sky Sports and The Athletic’s Dan Bardell admitted that Azaz should look to former Villan Conor Hourihane for inspiration if his time at the club is brought to a close this summer.
“I do think his age may slightly count against him,” he said. “Players develop at different rates and you can’t write somebody off being a Premier League player at 22.
“Conor Hourihane went away for years, played in League Two and League One and eventually got himself to be a Premier League player when he was about 28 or 29 years old, so players do come through.
“Conor is someone whom Azaz can probably look at for inspiration if he doesn’t end up making it at Villa. He can go away, work hard and make sure he can become a Premier League player later in his career.
“He feels like a really good goalscoring midfielder and both of his loan spells have gone really well, so there is certainly a Championship player there right now at the very least.
“If he does move on in the summer and explore his options, he should get a good Championship move as he has proven himself as a really useful EFL player.”
In other Aston Villa news, Alan Hutton has backed a potential game-changing attacking deal for a Premier League attacker.