Aston Villa: 16-year-old Sam Proctor justifies six-figure fee with place on bench v Brentford

Sun 17 December 2023 20:40, UK

Teenager Sam Proctor was named on the bench for Aston Villa in the Premier League clash with Brentford on 17 December, his first involvement in a senior squad under Unai Emery.

Proctor, who is just 16, joined Villa from Peterborough for a fee of £100,000 in 2021, the maximum fee allowed for a then-13-year-old, and the club will have to pay an extra £50,000 to Posh when he signs his first professional deal. [Peterborough Telegraph]

At the time of his arrival at Villa Park, the shot-stopper was an England Under-14 international and has since gone on to move up the age groups, most recently appearing for the Under-18 side at just 16 years old.

The earliest age at which a player can sign professional terms is 17, which Proctor has not yet reached and therefore does not qualify, but having appeared in a first-team squad for the first time, it looks as though there are high hopes for his development at Aston Villa.

Unai Emery has not been reluctant to trust young players, with youngsters Filip Marschall and Tommi O’Reilly making their senior debuts in the Europa Conference League clash with Zrinjski on 14 December.

So far this season, Proctor has made six appearances for Villa’s Under-18 side and one for the Under-21s in the Premier League 2, stepping up in the absence of those above him. [Transfermarkt]

Playing PL2 football at 16 is a fantastic achievement for the youngster, and the extent to which he has been used throughout the youth ranks at Villa shows how highly he is rated and appreciated by the academy coaches, and now by Emery.