Aston Villa fans should be excited by Cole Brannigan after what he did in U18s defeat v Reading
Unai Emery has started to bring through a few young talents to the Aston Villa squad, and Cole Brannigan is another name that fans should expect to see soon.
The 18-year-old put pen to paper before arriving at Villa Park from Linfield ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and has since proven himself as an exciting talent in the Villans’ youth ranks, which has become a trend at Bodymoor Heath.
The Northern Ireland U17s international is capable of being deployed in multiple positions, though he has mostly been deputising as a striker or attacking midfielder this season.
Those positions seem to be working for the Under-18s, boasting four goals and four assists in 18 matches this season, most recently adding to his record against Reading on Wednesday 1 May.
Despite facing their 15th league defeat of the campaign, Brannigan has been a shining light in a rather dismal set of performances, netting three minutes into the second half to halve Villa’s two-goal deficit.
While the youngster may not have been able to complete the comeback, with Luka Lynch scoring a late penalty in a 3-2 loss, Brannigan continues to prove himself after a move from Belfast.
Aston Villa fans must watch out for Cole Brannigan
There was a lot of buzz surrounding the youngster, with multiple Premier League clubs said to be attempting to secure his signature before Villa finalised the move.
Emery has proven that he is willing to promote youngsters to the first team if he deems them ready for senior football, with Tim Iroegbunam, Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Omari Kellyman all coming into the first-team set-up.
This should provide fans at Villa Park with confidence that Brannigan will soon be proving himself at the top level, especially if his current form continues.
Of course, he will have a lot of development still to come, but under the guidance of Emery, he has the potential to be a special player for the Villans.
In other Aston Villa news, an injury expert has issued a fresh update on Jacob Ramsey who may now have a stress fracture.
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