There were tears, singing in the changing room and, rather appropriately given their age, soft drinks hurled in the air.
Aston Villa’s under-18s had won their second FA Youth Cup in four years and the fifth in the club’s history following a 3-1 victory against Manchester City. Bass-heavy music pumped out of the Villa Park changing room where Jimmy Shan, Villa’s head coach, had invited his three sons to see “the carnage” of the celebrations.
“They are still partying, jumping around and playing music that isn’t my cup of tea,” he smiled. “They are buzzing.”
Villa’s youngsters bathed in a remarkable achievement, not just in winning silverware but overcoming formidable opponents. Astonishingly, City had won their previous 26 straight games and won the league comfortably, so Villa triumphing felt a major statement of intent.
Villa are gradually being regarded as among the most intelligent talent-spotters at youth level and, crucially, are harnessing those strengths with coaching that mirrors Unai Emery’s first-team principles.
Villa’s players celebrate with their fans (David Rogers/Getty Images)
The scale of achievement hit immediately.
Goalkeeper Sam Proctor, the hero in the semi-final penalty shootout against Manchester United, lay flat on his back and in tears at the full-time whistle. Meanwhile, his team-mates sprinted to the corner flag situated by the Trinity Road Stand, hugging and jumping on whoever was in sight.
The feeling was heightened by the final being played at Villa Park and in front of over 25,000 supporters. Friends and families of players nearby, most easily identifiable by what name they had on their Villa shirts, climbed down the stairs and towards the hoardings, bursting with pride.
Local first team players Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey had watched the game and went onto the pitch to congratulate the squad. Ramsey was born four miles away and came through the academy while Rogers grew up in Halesowen, south-east Birmingham, having taken a detour to eventually end up at Villa.
Among Rogers’ backers at youth level were academy manager Mark Harrison and head of junior recruitment Steve Hopcroft. Both had identified Rogers aged seven when they had been at West Bromwich Albion and worked closely with the player over the next nine years.
Coinciding with Rogers’ move to — pertinently — Manchester City in 2019, Harrison and Hopcroft left to join Villa, where they were tasked with revamping the academy.
“I also worked with Morgan at West Brom and Mark has as well,” said Shan. “So it shows their (Rogers and Ramsey’s) character. They appreciate the academy programme and process and they want to share their joy and adulation with the boys.”
Harrison’s extensive knowledge — Rogers is not the first to have made the same move and credits Harrison as a chief influence in their formative years — was key in Villa and Emery building an overall view of the England international before signing him in January 2024.There are countless stories of how Villa went about reshaping their youth, be it leaning on West Brom’s personnel and the recruitment strategy aligned from the youngest age groups to senior level.
One of the recent successes is Aidan Borland. Villa had expressed an interest in signing the 17-year-old from Celtic in August 2023 and because data in youth football is difficult to obtain and usually does not exist until a player reaches age 17 or 18, scouting Borland was primarily based on the eye test.
TJ Carroll scores Aston Villa’s first goal (David Rogers/Getty Images)
The sight of Borland lifting the trophy, as captain, must have offered an immense source of pride for Villa’s close-knit circle of youth recruiters.
For Shan, the performance showed his squad’s mentality, given the setting and pressure.
“I know some players that have found it very difficult in big moments,” he told The Athletic. “The lads found a way, so it’s another one to tick off in their development. They’ve played in a big arena and they’ve had a lot of people watching them — it’s brilliant.”
Villa concentrated on defending in a compact shape while being aggressive upon turnovers, transitioning quickly and using the frontline’s pace and power to attack the areas City were vulnerable.
Yet Shan wanted longer periods of possession to establish a platform for Villa’s attacking patterns. Increasingly, subtle movements started to mirror the first team, with Emery’s idiosyncratic formation of two No 10s and an overlapping left back, becoming evident.
There was one passage that encapsulated “Aston Villa’s identity”, as Shan later described.
A throw-in on the halfway line ended up back with Proctor and coaxed City into pressing. This opened up space for Proctor to pass to central midfielder George Hemmings. The 18-year-old is viewed among Villa’s best talents, with his precocious press-resistant ability a standout attribute.
Hemmings’ first touch spun him away from pressure and, simultaneously, Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, who had started as Villa’s left No 10, recognised the trigger to move from the left and inside the pitch, replicating Ramsey’s role in the first team.
This created a passing lane for Hemmings to bypass City’s midfield.
Before turning 18, Jimoh-Aloba, who joined in August 2023 having been at West Brom since the age of six, had played as a deep-lying or box-to-box midfielder. Under the instructions of Emery, however, he has transformed into a No 10, using his power and vision in higher areas.
In the example below, he carried the ball upfield and passed to Bradley Burrowes, who had kept width on the opposite flank. The attack ended with Burrowes stinging the palms of City goalkeeper, Oliver Whatmuff.
“We try and steal a lot of what Unai does,” Shan admitted. “The first team have a unit model and we have one in the 18s. We’re all working towards an Aston Villa identity.”
Coaching staff’s recent intuitions regarding Jimoh-Aloba’s best position were vindicated for Villa’s third goal. Cutting inside onto his stronger right foot, he rifled a shot into the bottom left corner in front of the Holte End.
The noise which followed was the loudest of the day and reached the highest pitch in some time; on a Bank Holiday Monday and a £1 entrance fee, there were several young boys and girls in attendance and possibly visiting Villa Park for the first time.
There is a straightforward nature to Villa’s football department and a small circle of decision-makers, with Villa’s owners, Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris, made aware of every player signed, even ones as young as 14.
The club only recruit players in positions where they are short and never buy on top of players already in the position. That attracts youngsters to join them. Shan is also well thought of with players, praised for his ability to explain instructions clearly. In some ways, he replicates the role of a senior manager in his demands on and off the pitch. The coaching expertise at Villa chimes with a well-financed academy operation.
If Villa want to sign a player, there is less bureaucracy that goes on at other clubs. Often, discussions are straightforward, with recruiters backing themselves and their experience in recognising when they have spotted adept talent.
One example of this came 18 months ago, when Villa identified Northern Ireland midfielder, Cole Brannigan. He was an intelligent reader of play, capable of drifting into pockets with a deft technical ability. Villa soon decided to advance negotiations with his then-club Linfield.
Brannigan’s strike to put Villa into the lead against City was equally a lesson in technique and instinct. Running onto a bouncing ball, Brannigan changed his step pattern ever so slightly, allowing him to arch his hips and direct the half volley on target.
The shot flew into the top left corner and following initial celebrations, the sheer brilliance of Brannigan’s effort left team-mates looking for the big screens above, desperate to see a replay. Once they did, they clapped and shook their heads in disbelief.
Cole Brannigan, that is special 🤯
The @AVFCOfficial starlet with a half-volley from distance, executed to perfection 🤩#FAYouthCup pic.twitter.com/EftXx6cYYr
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 5, 2025
“He has been special,” said Shan. “Breathtaking. I like Cole, he is a fantastic player. He probably needs a little bit more belief in himself because he does have the quality to make moments like that.”
History shows that winning FA Youth Cup sides produce players who end up forging highly successful careers. The next step for Villa and Emery is to integrate and develop a youngster in the first team, bearing the fruits of a now flourishing academy.
(Top photo: David Rogers/Getty Images)