Why Jacob Ramsey will be Aston Villa's star man next season

It is easy to forget just how good Jacob Ramsey was in the final third of Unai Emery's first season in charge. With the obvious help of others around him, Ramsey's scintillating performances were a critical factor in Villa qualifying for UEFA Conference League having climbed the table from 17th position when previous manager Steven Gerrard left the club.

By the way, in giving this opinion I am not suggesting in any way that Dan Bardell and Gregg Evans (hosts of 1874 Podcast) are wrong in their praise of Morgan Rogers. Rogers' performances in the second half of last season after signing from Championship club Middlesbrough were nothing short of outstanding. He will certainly play a huge part in Villa's season but I believe that Jacob Ramsey will surprise people next season and prove to be a hugely influential figure in Villa's season.

Last season was a hugely frustrating one for the local boy, born in Great Barr, as injury problems diminished his chances of having much say on Villa's performances and results. Ramsey suffered a metertasal injury whilst representing England at the European Under-21 Championships last summer, at a time where he was the team's stand out player. That injury kept Ramsey out for the remainder of the tournament and for the first six weeks of the new Premier League campaign. A reoccurrence of that injury just two weeks later and a toe injury that kept him out for the final 3 months of the season meant Ramsey managed just 21 appearances across all competitions.

Prior to his injury problems Ramsey's performances had been catching the eye of many top names, pundits and clubs and being talked about as a potential to make Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad. Speaking in February 2022, Ex-England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville speaking to Sky Sports said:

""I don't think central midfield is an area England are particularly blessed in, so it wouldn't surprise me to see Ramsey called up next month.""

Now that Ramsey has been pictured during Villa's first week back in training ahead of the new season, fans can get excited about his return to the team. The 23-year old's presence on the left hand side of Villa's attack was a main source of goals and his combination with Alex Moreno down that side was too much to handle for the majority of teams Villa came up against. The table below shows how Ramsey compared in several attacking attributes in the 2022/23 season to his Villa teammates in the 2023/24 season.

The stats suggest that Ramsey is someone who is not afraid to take his opponent on. Ramsey is fearless with the ball at his feet and although the stats suggest his success rate is lower, he carries the ball up the pitch further than his teammates and attempts to beat defenders more often. This bravery and skill is something that gets the Villa fans off their seats and the excitement grows when Ramsey takes control of the ball in the attacking third.

His incredible solo goal in Villa's 2-0 win away at Norwich in December 2021 apitimises that attribute. Picking the ball up in his own half, Ramsey glided past three players and smashed the ball into the roof of the net with his weaker left foot from just inside the penalty area. The end of the 2021/22 season saw Jacob Ramsey awarded with the 'Premier League Academy Graduate of the Year' award in recognition for his excellent performances.

Last season saw Ramsey score a number of brilliant goals. His opening goal of the 3-0 demolition of Newcastle United at Villa Park will always stand out to me as I was in the Holte End to witness it. A left-footed half volley drilled into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area. What a beauty. His volley at the back post to give Villa the lead at Anfield in the penultimate game of the 2023/24 season proved vital in getting us a point closer to European qualification. His goal catalogue has showcased the wide range of skills Ramsey has and as a result of his long-term injury problems that has been forgotten by some of the fans.

As a result, many fans were suggesting that they would have been happy to accept that Ramsey could leave the club this summer. As part of the clubs PSR issues, Ramsey was part of the conversation regarding outgoings and the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool and Bayern Munich had expressed an interest. Tottenham have recently, reportedly, made an offer to Villa to sign Ramsey but that was quickly rejected.

"“Jacob Ramsey is a very important player. He grew up in the academy and his progression is getting better. Maybe there are teams involved in the possibility to sign him because he has a big, big potential at Villa and in England. I want to keep him here, 100%.""

- Unai Emery - speaking in January 2024

Ramsey himself has expressed his desire to remain at the club this summer. The thought of representing the club you've played for and supported since the age of 6 in the Champions League for the first time is quite an exciting one, don't you think?

I would expect Ramsey, should he remain injury free through pre-season, to be in the starting XI come the start of the season but has a lot of competition in the attacking areas of the pitch. Leon Bailey was outstanding for Villa last season, as was Morgan Rogers who plays on the left hand side predominantly. He has competition for places but should he get to the level he reached pre-injury, or even better, then Ramsey will prove to be one of Villa's most important players. You heard it here first!

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