Why Cole Brannigan is making himself hard to ignore amid scenes away from Aston Villa

Aston Villa gem Cole Brannigan caught the eye on his maiden start for Northern Ireland Under-21s.

Villa snapped up Brannigan from Northern Irish side Linfield for a fee of around £150,000 in 2023.

The 19-year-old has yet to make a senior appearance for the Villans, but he is making waves at various age-grade levels.

Brannigan was part of Villa's FA Youth Cup triumph last year and was handed a new deal in March of this year.

That suggests Villa are confident the forward will go on to become a senior success down the line - potentially sooner rather than later.

And Brannigan is continuing to take his chances after impressing for Northern Ireland's U21s on Saturday evening.

How did Cole Brannigan perform for Northern Ireland U21s?

Brannigan was first called up by his country's U21s last October and made his debut as a substitute against Germany.

He now has another cap to his name after making his full debut against Malta.

Brannigan marked the occasion by assisting a goal in the comfortable 4-0 win in Ta'Qali.

Despite the win, Tommy Wright's side can no longer qualify for the U21 European Championship finals next year.

That is due to requiring a bigger margin of victory in Malta in order to still advance.

But Brannigan is certainly proving hard to ignore right now with his displays below senior level.

What's the next step for Cole Brannigan?

Brannigan has appeared four times in Premier League 2 this season, which is the final natural step prior to senior football.

He does not turn 20 until May, so there is absolutely no rush to promote him into the first team.

The next step will likely be a loan move away from Bodymoor Heath, possibly to a side in League Two.

That is where Brannigan will learn his trade before challenging for first-team football at Villa Park a couple of years from now.

For now, though, all he can do is continue taking his chances when they arrive at both club and international level.