Aston Villa teenage sensation Rory Wilson continues to put Rangers transfer blunder on full show
Although Aston Villa signed high-profile duo Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara last summer, the acquisition of academy sensation Rory Wilson from Rangers could be the steal of the lot.
The 17-year-old moved to Villa Park last summer for a reported fee of £350,000 after netting 49 goals at youth level with the Gers the previous season, as his old club played in the Champions League this season.
Since switching his allegiances, the prolific forward has moved from strength to strength and further highlighted just how wrong Rangers got it by allowing Villa to come snooping and snap him up for such a modest fee.
Wilson, who was labelled as “one of the best young strikers at his age in Europe” by former Scotland Under-17 coach Brian McLaughlin, has lived up to expectations for the Young Lions, netting 11 goals from 17 appearances so far this season. [The Herald Scotland]
The youngster’s goalscoring record for Scotland’s youth teams also speaks volumes of the talent and natural finishing ability he possesses, with the six-foot-tall striker having found the back of the net 14 times from 13 games for the Tartan Army.
From the glimpses of Under-21 action that Wilson has been awarded by Tony Carss this season, it seems he is more than able to step up and deliver the goods at first team level.
Having played the majority of his early season football with the Under-18s, Wilson has burst onto the Under-21s scene since the New Year, bagging four goals and an assist from seven games.
Whether the Scottish youth international is ready for the physical nature of the English Football League is still debatable, with another year bedding himself into the Villa academy the most likely course of action.
What has become clear though, is that Rangers may have made a serious transfer blunder in sanctioning Wilson’s £350,000 exit last summer – a blunder that Aston Villa have gratefully accepted.
In other Aston Villa news, a senior player may never feature for the club again after recent news emerges, making a summer exit very much on the cards.