Aston Villa have a whole host of emerging talent out on loan in the lower divisions to get their game time and progress with the hopes of making their way into the first team.
The progression of talent Louie Barry has been well documented. Barry is impressing on loan at Stockport, the 21-year-old winger is currently the top scorer in League 1 and will be aiming to break into the first team in the coming seasons.
Unai Emery will undoubtedly want to assess each of the young talents at Villa to help shape his squad for next season and give the Villa squad some added depth as they aim to be playing in Europe again.
With the Villa academy thriving, the club will undoubtedly be looking to make the most of the cast of exciting talent currently out on loan, but who will step up and follow in Barry’s footsteps and make a name for themself in the EFL?
Josh Feeney
Josh Feeney is currently applying his trade at Shrewsbury Town in League 1 under new boss Gareth Ainsworth and has enjoyed life in Shropshire so far.
The 19-year-old centre-back has seen his fair share of game time starting eight games and making ten total appearances in League One this season.
He even notched his first goal for the club in a 2-2 draw against Bolton back in October.
Feeney will likely be one of the names at the top of Emery’s list to assess whether he could have a future at Villa Park.
| Pass Accuracy Percentage | Duels Won Percentage | Interceptions | |
| Josh Feeney | 70.4% | 59.1% | 16 |
Tommi O’Reilly
O’Reilly joins Feeney at Shrewsbury Town and has also seen a strong amount of minutes as he’s started five games but made ten appearances, often being deployed off the bench to give the Shrews an attacking spark.
O’Reilly has played in various positions throughout the season, he’s operated behind the striker, as a deeper central midfielder and even on the right side of a three behind the striker.
His ability to drive past players and win fouls will no doubt remind Villa fans of another local star in Jack Grealish who himself developed from a loan spell at Notts County.
With new manager Ainsworth at the helm, it’ll be interesting to see if O’Reilly can establish himself as a regular starter.
| Dribble Success Percentage | Fouls won | Cross Success Percentage | |
| Tommi O’Reilly | 60.0% | 19 | 40.0% |
Rico Richards
Richards is playing under fellow West Midlands native Darren Moore at Port Vale and has started well making 12 appearances with two goals and two assists.
Richards plays on the right side of midfield his dribbling and playmaking ability has been a key part of Vale’s promotion charge from League Two as they sit second.
With Port Vale looking towards automatic promotion, Richards will be hoping he can continue his good form to get them over the line.
| Pass Accuracy Percentage | Tackles Won Percentage | Chances Created | |
| Rico Richards | 76.8% | 66.7% | 7 |
