Aston Villa’s academy have been at it, with a few names upcoming that are very highly rated by the fans and everyone around the footballing community. Of course talking about the recent alumni the likes of Jacob Ramsey, Carney Chukwuemeka who joined Chelsea last summer and Jack Grealish who just won the treble for Manchester City comes to mind. There are more… And someone who has come into the limelight recently is Jaden Philogene – who has been subject to move to Liverpool according to the reports.
But Who is Jaden Philogene? And Why is he so highly regarded?
The Impact of Pro: Direct Academy
The Pro: Direct Academy, founded in 2010, welcomes players aged 16 to 18 years to train like professionals with UEFA and FA-licenced coaches and compete in weekly competitive fixtures against academy teams from across the country.
Jaden Philogene quickly adapted to the programme and was soon regarded as one of the more exciting footballers with whom the academy had worked at any of their 21 sites located throughout England.
He spent some trials at other English clubs such as Brentford before settling at Villa in 2021. After impressing with the under-23’s where he played mainly as a winger and got 8 goal involvements having played only 1018 mins, Jaden attracted interest from top European clubs with the Likes of Dortmund, PSG, etc but eventually he settled on a direct path to senior football with Villa and made his debut against Spurs in a 2-1 win following which he has been on two loan spells.
From Aspirant to Ace: Jaden Philogene’s Strokes of Brilliance
At Stoke, he showed signs of brilliance before making his move to Cardiff City. Michael O’Neill and Jon Walters were at a game in 2022 where Jaden scored a hattrick in the under-23’s match and there Walters spoke very highly of the player.
For Stoke, he used to play in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 and had enough versatility at this young age to play on both flanks. Former Stoke Captain Clive Clark said if loan signings could be permanent he would love to sign Jaden as he looks like a huge prospect. Former Stoke boss Michael O’Neill also spoke of the youngster in high regard and said that “Steven Gerrard told me I was getting a good player and I certainly haven’t been disappointed.”
Jaden Philogene made his way into the hearts of Villa fans when a scored a decisive winner against bitter rivals Birmingham City last August.
So far in the pre-season, he is slowly entering Unai Emery’s plans after some promising performances. With Leon Bailey having an extended holiday, Jaden was able to show Emery why he is one to look out for. Constantly causing problems in the opposition box even earning a penalty against Walsall.
Most of his former coaches have said that Jaden plays football on the field like he is playing on the streets with his friends and hence it’s no wonder they always pushed him to play with older boys his age. Mainly playing in the wide left position he has also many times deployed on the right with little to no difference in his playing style.
Commanding the Wings: Philogene’s Wide-Play Mastery
A player who has a natural talent for keeping possession. Philogene-Bidace’s pace, agility, and dribbling abilities make him good enough to play for any Premier League club. Jaden has a powerful shot, and his ball skills with both his left and right foot will give any defender a headache. He has been blessed with some scintillating raw pace and has a knack for providing the final ball, making runs, positioning himself for rebounds, and playing some beautiful one-touch football.
In the latest match against Newcastle, he played as a right midfielder in a 4-4-1-1 formation constantly pressing opposing left back Matt Target and was also very composed defensively playing in a much deeper role.
During his last tenure, he scored 4 goals for Cardiff so his end product remains to be improved and it is very unlikely that Unai Emery would start a youngster over star signing Mousa Diaby. But Villa would surely have to give chances to such a captivating star with them being in Europe this season.
Destined for Merseyside? The Potential Anfield Star?
With Jaden Philogene only playing for Villa five times it might not be a surprise to see him make the move to Anfield if terms are agreed. Liverpool are linked with him – but it remains to be seen where this rumours go. He may as well leverage that to more promised first team minutes at Aston Villa.
