Aston Villa brought in Mark Harrison as their new academy manager.

Aston Villa’s new academy manager Mark Harrison has told AVTV that his recent chat with Dean Smith was ‘music to his ears’ as the club plan to loan out young players.

Villa’s promotion saw them bring in a host of new signings, bolstering Smith’s squad, but they also made backroom changes too.

George Boateng returned to the club as a youth coach, whilst a new academy manager was lured too as Harrison left West Brom for a move to Villa Park.

 

Harrison helped bring through the likes of Kemar Roofe, Tyler Roberts and Izzy Brown at West Brom, and Villa will be hoping he can have a similar impact.

He’s now admitted that he spoke to Smith about his plans for the future, and the Villa boss was in agreement that the club’s young players need to get out and play first-team football elsewhere.

Harrison admitted Smith’s comments were ‘music to his ears’, and claims that a clear and stuctured plan across the football club of sending youngsters out on loan will be coming over the next.

A general view of Villa Park the home stadium of Aston Villa during the Sky Bet Championship match between Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Villa Park on March 10, 2018 in...

“I have to say I’m not just being politically correct, everything that Dean was saying was music to my ears and like I alluded to, we have a shared vision for the development of young players,” said Smith. “We both believe passionately that young players need to go out on loan and experience that and that is a model we will be looking to integrate into the football club over the next year or so,” he added.

Andre Green, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Callum O’Hare and Jake Doyle-Hayes are all out on loan right now for that very reason, and Villa will hope all four come back better players.

Villa’s other up-and-comers can expect to be loaned out too in upcoming transfer windows, all with the aim of ensuring Villa have a steady stream of youngsters becoming ready for the first team.

Aston Villa fans hold up banners showing the badge during the Sky Bet Championship Play-off Semi Final: First Leg match between Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion at Villa Park on May 11,...

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