Aston Villa have unearthed some highly talented scholars in their history, with the recent sales of Jack Grealish and Cameron Archer allocating over £115m worth of profit alone.
The academy set up at Bodymoor Heath boasts a strong reputation, not just because of the colossal sale of Grealish, but for nurturing Premier League stars such as Gabriel Agbonlahor, Gary Cahill and Marc Albrighton to name a few.
While Unai Emery is brewing a storm of success upstairs, below the Spaniard are some exciting prospects waiting in the wings at Villa’s academy, with one name in line to be a potentially profitable graduate.
Who is Triston Rowe?
Signed from West Bromwich Albion’s academy in 2021, 17-year-old defender Triston Rowe has displayed all the indications that he could be the next big hit from the settings at Bodymoor Heath.
A Birmingham-born teen, Rowe has excelled since arriving at Villa, with his versatility in positions across the back line catching the eye of both the media and other clubs in the Premier League.
The Englishman was named as the Guardian’s Villa representative in the ‘Next Generation 2023’ list, where the publication lists one of the best prospects from each club in the top-flight to keep an eye on in the future.
The Guardian’s Ben Fisher described Rowe as a ‘tenacious defender’ who can play as either a right-back or centre-back, being a player with an ‘appetite to win duels’.
It’s not only the eyes of the media that the teenager is catching, with a report from the Evening Standard in 2022 claiming that Chelsea are admirers of the rising prospect.
The report stated that the Blues were ‘tracking’ the full-back, who has impressed those at Stamford Bridge due to his selection to play at a level that is years above his age group, as he represents the U21’s at Villa.
Could Triston Rowe break through at Villa?
The reported interest from Chelsea could signal another profitable talent in the wings at Villa Park, considering the Blues spent £20m to obtain Carney Chukwuemeka at just 18 years old last summer.
On the other hand, Rowe could take the route of the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Grealish in unleashing his talent in Birmingham for the benefit of the Villans and potentially Emery.
The Spaniard is a firm admirer of current first-team right-back Matty Cash, waxing lyrical over the 26-year-old being a figure whose versatility has “helped” the squad “a lot”, areas of the defender's game that are mirrored by Rowe.
A source previously told BirminghamLive that the teenager is a player that is “proficient in everything he does”, and a talent that was dubbed an “incredible prospect” by the source with knowledge of the player.
Most notably, BirminghamLive were informed that the defender is a prospect “high on Villa’s agenda for progression”, signalling that he could soon be equipped to assist Emery in seeking to become the eventual heir to Cash after penning a professional contract this month.
The teenager has scored one goal and registered one assist in his 24 recorded appearances for Villa’s academy, suggesting that he has the attacking elements to his game vital for a modern-day full-back to embody, another notable trait in the Poland international’s skill set – having scored twice and contributed one assist in the league this term.
Described by the Guardian as a ‘mature character’, Rowe could be one of the bustling academy starlets to keep an eye on, with his trajectory assumed to be one that could one day usurp a favourite from Emery’s current achievers at Villa Park.