How Aston Villa may have already found next Morgan Rogers-like figure after what Josh Blake's done

Josh Blake is emerging as one of Aston Villa's hottest academy prospects.

The 16-year-old attacking midfielder has been shining at the youth level, and his recent exploits are the cherry on top of the cake.

Villa have had many top talents come through the doors over the years, with George Hemmings currently the latest to make the breakthrough.

Blake will undoubtedly want to be next up, and he is certainly doing everything he can to get noticed.

On Tuesday, Blake struck a hat-trick in an Under-21s tournament for the Villans.

That is despite being just 16 years of age, with one goal bringing an air of familiarity to a former Villa star.

How Josh Blake produced Morgan Rogers style vibes for Aston Villa's Under-21s

Aston Villa's Under-21s took on Real Sociedad in the Premier League International Cup.

In the end, it was a resounding win for the B6 club, who managed to carve out a 5-1 win.

It was Blake who took centre stage, and the 16-year-old did not even start the fixture.

After coming on in the second half, Blake would go on to score a hat-trick, with the first of his goals being quite Morgan Rogers-like.

The youth product ran onto a through-ball on the left side of the pitch, starting from the halfway line.

Upon collecting the ball, a delicate touch inside to set himself allowed him to unleash a powerful strike into the far-right top corner.

It was the kind of finish that would not look out of place had it been in Rogers' catalogue.

Blake would go on to score two more goals, topping off an excellent performance from the bench.

And he will feel he has done enough to begin starting more for the Under-21s now.

With Blake emerging as another top talent for Villa fans to follow throughout the academy.

What's next for Blake?

Blake playing for the Under-21s at 16 years old is a big showing of confidence from the Aston Villa youth coaches.

For now, the next step will be to continuing to impress at that level, and prove this was not just a one-off game.

From there, perhaps first-team appearances or training with the seniors could be around the corner.

However, at 16 years old, there is certainly no rush, and Blake should only be promoted if he is truly deemed ready.