Jerrell Sellars
Jerrell Sellars is a 20-year-old centre-forward coming through the academy at Aston Villa.
In Pre-Season, he made his first senior appearance for the Villans when they played against Swindon Town. Sellars came off the bench early into the second half, and it didn’t take him long to make his mark on the game. In the latter stages of the match, he doubled Villa’s lead to win 2-0 after he took advantage of a defensive mistake by one of the Swindon defenders. He couldn’t have possibly dreamed of a better start to his senior career, and throughout that second half, he looked extremely sharp with his pace and was showing the potential he could have in the future, in the Villa side. This lad is one to look out for, he has already shown his qualities for such a young age, and it got better for him in pre-season, as the night after, Aston Villa XI beat Forest Green Rovers 3-0, and Sellars scored a second-half double. It was a week to remember for the Villa youngster. The way he has gone about preseason, he has definitely let Tim Sherwood know he is ready to be called up to the first-team squad if Tim needs him, and it only seems time will tell before he does get the nod from the Aston Villa manager.
Riccardo Calder
Riccardo Calder is another youngster who has been given a fair bit of game time, this Pre-Season, under Tim Sherwood. I also think he has done a very good job of repaying Tim Sherwood in that perspective, with some solid performances in defensive midfield. The 19 year old Aston Villa prodigy, did show in preseason games against Fulham, FC Braga, Swindon Town and Forest Green Rovers, that he can step up to the first team if Sherwood needs him, and knowing Tim Sherwood with giving home grown talent a chance, he may be persuaded by Riccardo’s qualities, that he may give him an opportunity this season. Personally, I was impressed with his solid performance’s, as he looks a extremely strong, powerful player, that would be a good addition to Sherwood’s squad.
Niall Mason
Niall Mason has only just joined Aston Villa after he was released by Southampton in April, when his contract expired, he then completed a successful trial at Villa and joined this summer. The 18-year-old midfielder wouldn’t of been expecting a call up into the first team, but he was in for a surprise, when Tim Sherwood played him in both games in Portugal, on Villa’s pre-season tour. After two impressive performances in the Algarve, he then continued with some more preseason action back in England. In the two friendlies against Swindon Town, and then coming off the bench for Nathan Baker, against Forest Green. It looks like Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has taken a real liking to the Brighton born midfielder, and the Villa fans could be in for a surprise, when the name Niall Mason pops up on the team sheet this season.
The future looks bright for Aston Villa with these type of players emerging from the academy.
