{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}} 
Aston Villa academy dealt sucker punch as Mile Jedinak joins Ange Postecoglou at Spurs
Aston Villa have been dealt a sucker punch with the departure of youth and loan player development coach Mile Jedinak to Spurs.
The London club revealed on Tuesday (27 June) that the 38-year-old would be joining fellow Aussie Ange Postecolgou at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to be a part of his backroom coaching staff.
Jedinak will join the likes of Chris Davies and Ryan Mason at Spurs on 1 July ahead of pre-season for the upcoming Premier League campaign.
The former Socceroo knows Postecoglou well, having captained the Australia team under his guidance and joins on a four-year deal.
The departure of Jedinak comes as a blow to Aston Villa after several instrumental years as both a player and a member of staff in the West Midlands. The Aussie was a core member of Dean Smith’s Championship promotion side in 2019 before taking up a role at Bodymoor Heath in March 2021.
His position as loan player development coach saw him, as well as Johan Lange, find the optimal loan destinations for young players to ensure their progress.
The likes of Cameron Archer’s loan to Middlesbrough, Tim Iroegbunam at QPR and Lamare Bogarde at Bristol City last season were all part of Jedinak’s impressive work at Villa Park, with the academy never looking as prosperous as right now.
With Aston Villa now having to fight on both domestic and European fronts following their qualification for the Europa Conference League, homegrown talent emerging from the academy has never been as important as right now.
Unai Emery is likely to have to call upon a number of young stars to bolster his ranks in cup competitions due to the added workload, with the likes of Archer, Aaron Ramsey and Iroegbunam all possibly playing prominent roles next season.
However, the academy will have to continue on its merry way without Jedinak, who will long be remembered by Aston Villa fans for both his actions on and off the football field.
In other Aston Villa news, big-name signings are now on the cards after a behind-the-scenes arrival at Villa Park.