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Unai Emery could take risky Aston Villa decision on Kadan Young ahead of Everton EFL Cup clash
Aston Villa possess an exciting young talent in Kadan Young and Unai Emery could take a risky bet on him in their EFL Cup clash against Everton on Wednesday.
The Villans enter Wednesday’s Carabao Cup contest on home turf (27 September) fresh off an impressive 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday making two Premier League wins in a row to now sit sixth in the table with 12 points from a possible 18 on offer.
And the Spaniard will be looking to unleash an assault on the domestic cups this season which means he could name a strong starting line-up against the Toffees but with a number of changes to freshen up the team.
The EFL Cup or FA Cup always provides a chance for clubs like Aston Villa to hand first-team roles or responsibilities to some of their emerging up-and-coming young stars, and Emery could see Wednesday’s clash as a fantastic exposure for some of Aston Villa’s burgeoning young talents.
One player who has proven over the past year that he is capable of holding his own, despite his tender age is 17-year-old Young.
The teenager, who signed a first professional contract at Villa Park in January, has grown considerably over the past year for the Under-21s and last season, netting three goals and providing seven assists from 14 appearances in all competitions.
After a strong start to last season, the 17-year-old was offered the chance to mix it with Unai Emery’s first team during their mid-season trip to Dubai, but since then, he has featured in the Spaniard’s first-team match-day squad just once.
The left-winger enjoyed an impressive season last term, which saw him sign his first professional contract with the club in January, and take part in first-team training at times last season under Emery.
His extraordinary talents and maturity hadn’t gone unnoticed at international level too, with England Under-17 manager Ryan Garry, naming the Villa starlet alongside the likes of Archie Gray, Tyler Dibling and Leon Chiwome for the UEFA U17 Euro Finals in Hungary in May which the Three Lions lost in the Quarter-finals to eventual winners Germany.
Young featured in all four of their five games during the competition, including bagging a goal and an assist in the fifth-placed play-off 4-2 win over Switzerland [Transfermarkt], an experience which could well prove absolutely pivotal to his growth and development, especially for this new campaign.
Young is certainly on his way to future stardom and the only way that can happen is if Aston Villa provide him with the perfect conditions and environment to develop and hone his stunning craft.
Praised as being a “great reflection of hard work” by Academy manager Mark Harrison, the 17-year-old appeared on the bench for the senior team last season, as well as playing a strong role in pre-season last summer.
Given his rise over the past few months, it shouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility that Young could feature more prominently at Villa Park next season or even taste loan spells like Jaden Philogene and Lamare Bogarde have done this season.
It seems as though Young has an extremely bright future at Villa Park, and considering this latest vote of confidence by the national set-up, it seems like he is ready to ply his trade at a higher level than he has been and that could come against the Toffees in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
While it’s unlikely he will start the match, it would be incredibly beneficial for him to be given the experience of working with the first team in such a high-pressured and intense fixture in a domestic cup fixture – the perfect platform to hone his craft even further.
In other Aston Villa news, a new signing has already held crunch talks with Emery and a BBC Sport pundit has reacted.