Aston Villa chief ‘delighted’ as Oliver Bindley announcement made
Aston Villa have put a lot of focus on enhancing their youth teams over the summer.
Aston Villa’s issues with Profit and Sustainability Rules have meant that the Villans have been investing for the future in developing their academy and tying youngsters down to new contracts.
Fletcher Boyd has joined Aston Villa from Aberdeen in a deal that was worth up to £1million, and the 18-year-old has already made an appearance on the bench for the Under-21s.
As the 2025/26 Premier League campaign develops, Under-18s midfielder Oliver Brindley has caught the eye after an impressive run of form.
Oliver Bindley signs professional contract with Aston Villa
Bindley signed scholarship terms with the Villans over the summer and has featured in all four of our Under-18 outings so far this season.
The boyhood Villa fan also already represented England at youth level and has signed his first professional contract with the club, as confirmed via the official website on 17 September.
Aston Villa recent academy graduates:
- Lamine Bogarde (2020-21)
- Jacob Ramsey (2007-19)
- Jack Grealish (2002-13)
Bindley will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Jack Grealish, who went on to be an effective attacking midfielder in his eight-year spell at Villa.
For the youngster to go from earning a scholarship over the summer to now signing his first professional contract shows how much progress he has made over the last few months.
Bindley only turned 17 last week and joined Villa a few years ago from Birmingham City.
The midfielder clearly has the ability to go to the very top at Aston Villa, and can replicate the likes of Grealish and Jacob Ramsey in the future.
Similarly to the duo, should Bindley continue to perform, he could earn the Villans millions in years to come and prove an important financial asset.
Given Bindley’s trajectory over recent months, it is clear that the sky is the limit. And with the youngster having Villa in his heart, fans will be desperate to see him in the first-team set-up before long.
Aston Villa academy manager Mark Harrison full of praise for Oliver Bindley
After a tough summer for Villa’s first team, their academy side seems to finally be heading in the right direction.
There has been a notable lack of academy products featuring for them recently, but Aston Villa’s Carabao Cup tie with Brentford allowed 18-year-old Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba
Academy manager Mark Harrison can see a similar track into the first team for Bindley.
He said: “We are delighted to see Ollie sign his first professional contract.
“Having joined the academy a number of years ago, this is a recognition for his development and the potential we feel he has.
“He is an attacking midfielder who has very good technical and creative qualities, as well as being a local lad who is a massive Aston Villa fan.
“He also represented England at youth level, and we look forward to seeing how he develops over the next few years.”
Every Villa fan will echo those sentiments, with Bindley one to keep an eye on this season.
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