Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has been reacting to Tommi O’Reilly signing his first senior contract with the club.
The Lowdown: O’Reilly’s professional deal
O’Reilly is just 18 years of age and plays primarily as an attacking midfielder who can also turn out in a deeper role or on the right.
The left-footed youngster has made 18 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring five times and registering two assists.
His displays for both the Under-18s and Under-23s have seemingly caught the eye of Steven Gerrard, who named the midfielder on the bench against Brighton and Southampton in recent weeks.
The club confirmed on Monday that O’Reilly has signed a long-term contract, with academy manager Mark Harrison labelling it as 'really important'.
The Latest: Preece reacts
Preece took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to react to the news of O’Reilly’s contract.
“Go on, the boy! Well done, Tommi. Fully deserved!”
The Verdict: Good news
Villa have recently reaped the rewards of a midfielder breaking through the academy and into the first team in Jacob Ramsey, and it seems as if O’Reilly could well be the next.
Gerrard is clearly a fan of the player after naming him in the match-day squad for two successive Premier League games, and who knows, if he continues to impress at Bodymoor Heath, the manager may be tempted to hand him more first-team opportunities before the season comes to a close.
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