Aston Villa new agreement 'massive' as influx of 'hidden gems' head for Villa Park

We’re delighted to welcome Aston Villa podcaster Ty Bracey as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…

Aston Villa's player development partnership with Japanese side Vissel Kobe is "massive" for the club, according to Ty Bracey.

Villa confirmed (19 October) their plans to create a "bilateral development framework" for young players of both clubs, with two under-16 players from the J-League leaders set to train with the Villa during the Vissel Kobe delegation's visit at the end of October.

Japan is a relatively untapped market for European clubs but has produced plenty of emerging talents including Celtic's Kyogo Furuhushi and Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma, so there is real potential to find top-quality players.

Bracey shared his excitement about the agreement and claimed there are a lot of "hidden gems" to be found in this market.

Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bracey said: "It's great, especially for the youth aspect. I think there's a lot of talent in Asia and there's a lot of hidden gems out there, I really do.

"You only have to look at the likes of Kaoru Mitoma who have come into the Premier League and liven it up and showing the talent is there. Son Heung-min from South Korea too.

"For us to partner with Vissel Kobe, it's a win-win for both sides. There are players we need to send over there for a season for a bit of experience and players that we could take from them.

"It's massive. There's a big market in Asia and hopefully, we can take some top talent from there."

In other Aston Villa news, a pundit has blasted Villa players and told them not to complain as fresh a Castore update emerged.