George Hemmings believes Aston Villa have made another positive step in their preparations after completing the first leg of their Asian tour with a 3-1 victory over Indonesia All Stars.
The Aston Villa pre-season campaign now moves to Thailand, where Unai Emery’s side face BG Pathum United on Tuesday.
Hemmings played 45 minutes in Jakarta as goals from Emi Buendía, Ross Barkley and Brian Madjo secured a comfortable victory at the GBK Main Stadium.
Speaking to Villa’s club media afterwards, the academy midfielder described the performance as “something to build on” despite the difficult heat and humidity in Indonesia.
Villa’s official pre-season schedule confirms that Emery’s squad will now travel to Thailand before facing Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on Friday. Aston Villa’s official Asia tour schedule.
Aston Villa pre-season gives Hemmings another opportunity
Hemmings has made a strong impression during the early weeks of the summer.
The youngster has already scored twice during pre-season and continues to receive significant minutes alongside established members of Emery’s first-team squad.
ReadAstonVilla reported on Saturday that Hemmings sits just behind Villa’s leading pre-season contributors, with Brian Madjo, Emi Buendía and Luka Lynch all reaching four goal involvements.
The Jakarta appearance provided a different challenge.
Hemmings admitted the conditions were difficult but stressed the importance of hydration and preparation before matches in Asia. He also spoke positively about the reception Villa received during their stay in Indonesia.
Attention now turns to Bangkok and another opportunity to impress against BG Pathum United.
Competition for places will increase as more senior players become available, but Hemmings has continued to take advantage of the opportunities Emery has given him.
For a player whose immediate future could still involve a loan move, another productive pre-season performance would only strengthen his case for regular senior football.
