Dean Smith: Aston Villa’s academy thriving
Dean Smith believes the rise of Jacob Ramsey demonstrates Villa once more have a thriving academy.
Ramsey has made 10 Premier League appearances this season and is pushing to be involved in tomorrow’s match at Leeds.
The 19-year-old midfielder recently signed a new contract through to 2025 and boss Smith said: "JJ's been getting better and better. He's earned his new contract.
"We were just looking at him in training and said just how much he's improved in a 12-month period where I'm not afraid to start him in a Premier League game now or make him my first substitute against Arsenal or Chelsea away.
“That just shows that we've got a thriving academy again and that's something that's really pleasing."
Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens have spent heavily on improving the club’s academy since their 2018 takeover.
Another youngster, 18-year-old full-back Kaine Kesler, is likely to be on the bench at Elland Road. Highly-rated 17-year-old midfielder Carney Chukewuemeka, meanwhile, was named in a Premier League squad for the first time in last week’s 2-1 defeat to Leicester.
Smith continued: "JJ has just signed a new contract and we've seen what most of our under-18s and under-23s did against Liverpool in the FA Cup.
"But we've invested into the academy and we believe we want to become a real top academy throughout the country, where people want to come and can see a pathway for themselves."
