Jacob Ramsey can give Gareth Southgate sleepless nights as England Under-21s exposure awaits
As the highly anticipated Under-21 Euro Championships draws ever-nearer, one name who could give Gareth Southgate sleepless nights is Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey.
The Villa academy graduate has been named in Lee Carsley’s 26-man squad for the upcoming Euros in Romania and Georgia, and can take the tournament by storm if he takes his club form and delivers it on the international stage.
Ramsey’s rise at Aston Villa has been nothing short of exceptional, with the 21-year-old netting six goals and providing seven assists from 35 appearances last season.
Under the guidance of Unai Emery, the Englishman has flourished in the midfield, displaying maturity beyond his years and delivering some standout performances in crucial wins over Newcastle and Spurs during the season’s run-in.
According to the Opta-powered stats on FBREF, Ramsey was in the 96th percentile of European midfielders for assists recorded (0.24 per 90) over the last year and the 94th percentile for progressive carries (3.21 per 90).
The way the midfielder glides past defenders in effortless fashion is a sight to behold, averaging 2.12 carries into the final third per game and 0.72 carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes – which is in the top 5% of his counterparts across the continent.
After catching the eye of his club boss, Ramsey can now impress the national team selectors at the Under-21 Euro Championships.
His ability to play across multiple positions in both midfield and attack will certainly be something Southgate takes into consideration when selecting his future first-team squads, especially if he shines for Carsley’s side over the next month.
The Birmingham-born star looks ready-made for international football and won’t shy away from the ugly side of the game when required, having averaged more tackles per game (2.0) than John McGinn (1.9), Ashley Young (1.7) and defensive duo Ezri Konsa (1.2) and Tyrone Mings (0.4) last season. [WhoScored]
Ramsey has all the ingredients to be a mainstay in the England first-team set-up, but it is now over to him to deliver the goods in a pressurised European knockout tournament.
In other Aston Villa news, the club has been backed to complete a £42million-plus transfer for an “outstanding” European player.