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Aston Villa Under-23s And Academy
The Aston Villa Under-21s, formerly known as Aston Villa Reserves and Aston Villa Under-23s, are the most senior youth development team of Aston Villa and compete in Premier League 2 (Division 2) of the Professional Development League, the Premier League Cup and the EFL Trophy in the 2022–23 season. The team plays its home games at Aston Villa's training ground, Bodymoor Heath and occasionally Villa Park. Aston Villa also have an academy side that competes in the Under-18 division of the Professional Development League, the U18 Premier League Cup and the FA Youth Cup annually, most recently winning the latter trophy in the 2020-21 season. They also field a youth side in the Birmingham Senior Cup annually. The team were part of the FA Premier Reserve League since its foundation in 1999 and were winners of the 2011-12 Premier Reserve League South title, the last in that format. The side has been successful in recent decades, as well as becoming national champions in the 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bodymoor Heath Training Ground
Bodymoor Heath Training Ground is Aston Villa Football Club's training ground, located at Bodymoor Heath in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. The site was purchased from a farmer by then Aston Villa Chairman Doug Ellis in the early 1970s. The ground is situated near Fazeley, in the Tame Valley, by the side of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, a short distance from Drayton Manor Theme Park and Middleton Hall. It lies close to The Belfry Golf Club, Middleton Lakes RSPB reserve and Kingsbury Water Park, just a few hundred metres from the M42 link to Tamworth and Birmingham. Many of the past and present Aston Villa players have taken up residence in the area, one of the more rural parts of the Midlands, enabling them speedy travel to training sessions. The training ground houses both the first-team and the youth academy. The facilities at Bodymoor Heath are also used as the home ground for the academy teams using provided pitches and changing rooms. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tim Iroegbunam
Timothy Emeka Iroegbunam (born 30 June 2003) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Aston Villa. He is a product of the West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa academies. Career Youth career Iroegbunam played youth football in Sutton Coldfield for Sutton United - where at under-8s level, he played alongside future West Brom and Aston Villa teammate Louie Barry. Iroegbunam started his career at West Bromwich Albion, appearing once on the bench for a Premier League game against Leeds United on 23 May 2021. On 29 July 2021, Iroegbunam signed for Aston Villa in an undisclosed deal, joining their under-23 academy side. Senior career On 5 December 2021, Iroegbunam appeared on the senior bench for Aston Villa, in a 2–1 Premier League victory over Leicester City. After featuring on the bench several more times, Iroegbunam made his Premier League debut on 26 February 2022, as a late substitute for Philippe Coutinho in a 2–0 away victory over Brighton & Hove Albio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Craig Gardner
Craig Gardner (born 25 November 1986) is an English professional football coach and former player who made 260 appearances in the Premier League and a further 67 in the Championship. He joined the coaching staff at Birmingham City in January 2021, and in June was appointed technical director. A versatile midfielder, Gardner was able to play in many different positions, although he preferred central midfield. He began his career at Aston Villa before spending the 2010–11 season with city rivals Birmingham City, with whom he won the 2011 League Cup. After three seasons with Sunderland, he joined West Bromwich Albion in 2014 before rejoining Birmingham City in 2017. He retired from playing in 2020 to take up a position as first-team coach at the club. He moved on to a similar role at Sheffield Wednesday in November 2020, before leaving a month later when Tony Pulis' contract was terminated and returning to Birmingham. Internationally, Gardner represented England at under-21 le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Darius Vassell
Darius Martin Clarke Vassell (born 13 June 1980) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Ankaragücü and Leicester City. Vassell began his career at his home town club Aston Villa in the Premier League, being developed by their academy and making his first team debut in 1998. He was sold for £2 million in 2005 to another Premier League club, Manchester City, staying for four seasons before being released in 2009, moving abroad to Turkey for a season to play for the Süper Lig team Ankaragücü. In October 2010 he was brought back to England by his former international manager Sven-Göran Eriksson to play for the Championship side Leicester City. Under Eriksson with England, Vassell scored six goals from 22 international caps awarded between 2002 and 2004, including appearances at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, and UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal. Club career Early career Vassell was born in Birming ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas Hitzlsperger
Thomas Hitzlsperger (born 5 April 1982) is a German director of football and former footballer who played as a midfielder. In February 2019, he was appointed Head of Sport of VfB Stuttgart and was subsequently promoted to CEO. In March 2022, he stepped down from this position. As a player he spent the early part of his career playing for Aston Villa in England (accompanied by a short loan spell at Chesterfield), before returning to Germany to play for Stuttgart, where he was a member of the team which won the Bundesliga in 2007. In 2010, he signed for Italian side Lazio, before moving back to England to join West Ham United later that year. He then had brief spells with Wolfsburg and Everton. Hitzlsperger also represented the Germany national team, earning 52 caps and being selected for the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. Following a series of injuries, he retired from football in September 2013. After his retirement, he came out as gay, the highest-profile male footballer in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry (born 23 February 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made 653 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion, the highest number of appearances in the Premier League. He also represented England at international level. Barry moved to Aston Villa from Brighton & Hove Albion as a youngster, and spent 12 years at the club. He captained Aston Villa and is eighth in their all-time list of appearances, with 441 across all competitions, including 365 in the Premier League. He joined Manchester City for a fee of £12 million in June 2009, where he won the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League title the following season. After a season on loan, he joined Everton on a three-year contract in July 2014, and on its expiration he signed for West Bromwich Albion. Barry is a former England international, having won his first full cap in 2000 and captained the side in 2010 in a friend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Cahill
Gary James Cahill (born 19 December 1985) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Cahill began his career playing for the AFC Dronfield youth system in Derbyshire. In 2000, he joined the Aston Villa Academy and continued his development. In 2004, he joined Burnley on a season-long loan, where he performed well before returning to make his Aston Villa debut. Later, he signed for hometown club Sheffield United on a three-month loan deal. On 30 January 2008, he signed for Bolton Wanderers for approximately £5 million. Cahill performed well for Bolton through the years, cementing a place in the first team. He made 130 league appearances and scored 13 league goals for Bolton. In January 2012, Cahill signed for Chelsea for approximately £7 million. He won the UEFA Champions League in his debut season at Chelsea, and went on to win the UEFA Europa League twice, the Premier League twice, the FA Cup and the League Cup. Following his release i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ciaran Clark
Ciaran Clark (born 26 September 1989) is a professional footballer who plays as a central defender, central midfielder and left-back for Championship club Sheffield United, on loan from Premier League club Newcastle United and the Republic of Ireland national team. Clark captained England at under-18, under-19 and under-20 level, but in October 2010 declared his ambition to play for the Republic of Ireland, the country of his parents' birth. He was called up to the national team a month later for the friendly match against Norway, and made his full debut against Wales on 8 February 2011. Club career Aston Villa Early career Clark was born in Harrow, London, and grew up in Sandy, Bedfordshire. He came through the Aston Villa youth academy after joining at the age of eleven, and captained the academy U18 team to the 2007–08 Premier Academy League—the academy's maiden league title. He was given a squad number for the 2008–09 season and named on the bench for Villa's 2008– ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Imuetinyan Agbonlahor (born 13 October 1986) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward; he mostly played as a central striker, but he was also capable of playing on the wing. He spent his entire professional career with Aston Villa in the Premier League and later the Championship, with loans at Watford and Sheffield Wednesday at the start of his career. He is a product of Aston Villa's Academy, and made his first-team debut in 2006 following loans to Football League clubs Watford and Sheffield Wednesday. He made 391 total appearances for Aston Villa, including 322 in the Premier League. He scored 87 goals for the club, and is their all-time leading Premier League goalscorer, with 74 across 11 consecutive league seasons. Formerly a regular with the England under-21s, Agbonlahor made his senior international debut for England in 2008 and earned three caps. Club career Early career Before being scouted by Aston Villa, Agbonlahor was playing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brian Little
Brian Little (born 25 November 1953) is an English football manager and former player. As a player, Little was a striker who spent his entire career for Aston Villa in a career that spanned from 1971 to 1980. He made 247 league appearances, scoring 60 goals and earning a single cap for England in 1975. As a player he won the Football League Cup on two occasions in 1975 and 1977. As a manager he has been in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Darlington before taking a job in with Leicester City, during his tenure he secured promotion to the Premier League by winning the play-offs in 1994. He was then appointed as manager of fellow top flight side Aston Villa where he went on to win the Football League Cup in 1996. He had later spells in charge of Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Hull City, Tranmere Rovers, Wrexham, Gainsborough Trinity and Jersey. Playing career On leaving school in May 1969, Little signed for Aston Villa who would be relegated to the Third Division fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack Grealish
Jack Peter Grealish (born 10 September 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for club Manchester City and the England national team. Grealish joined Aston Villa at the age of six, and made his debut for the club in May 2014, following a loan at Notts County. In 2021, Grealish signed for Manchester City in a transfer deal worth £100 million, making him the most expensive English player ever. Born in England and having Irish ancestry, Grealish was eligible to represent either England or the Republic of Ireland internationally, Grealish was capped by the Republic of Ireland up to under-21 level before confirming his decision to play for England in April 2016. He played for the England under-21s for the first time in May 2016, winning the 2016 Toulon Tournament. Early life Grealish was born in Birmingham, West Midlands and raised in nearby Solihull. He attended Our Lady of Compassion Roman Catholic Primary School and St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jaden Philogene-Bidace
Jaden Philogene-Bidace (born 8 February 2002), known as Jaden Philogene, is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL Championship side Cardiff City, on loan from Aston Villa. He is a product of the Aston Villa Academy and has represented England at youth level, he is currently a member of the under-20 squad. Club career Aston Villa Philogene was signed by the Aston Villa academy from the Pro:Direct Academy in London in January 2018. He spent time on trial at a number of clubs in the English Football League, reportedly including Brentford, before settling at Villa. After impressing for the Under-23 squad, and reportedly attracting the interest of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, Philogene signed his first professional contract with Aston Villa. On 19 May 2021, Philogene was given his first team debut, coming on as a late substitute in a 2–1 victory for Aston Villa against Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Stoke Ci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
