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Whilst other players who came through youth ranks have gone out on loan in recent days – Andre Green and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, 21-year-old Callum O’Hare remains at Aston Villa.
That said, it is worth having a look to see where the young midfielder fits into the current squad.
O’Hare has shown plenty of versatility as he is capable of playing multiple positions in midfield. In addition, he’s also slotted in on both wings and as a shadow striker for Villa’s youth setup.
Most Villans will probably remember Callum O’Hare from his eight appearances for the first team during the 2017-2018 campaign. In those matches he shined with the ball at his feet when he played his favoured no. 10 role. That play led many to call for Steve Bruce to give the youngster more opportunities, but they never came.
Last season the Solihull native played one match in the Championship and FA Cup before being loaned to League Two Carlisle United for the second half of the season.
O’Hare impressed whilst on loan as he tallied 3 goals and 3 assists in sixteen appearances. Mike Jones - his Carlisle teammate - said this of him:
“To be fair to the lad he absolutely works his socks off. Alongside that he’s got a lot of ability.
“He’s definitely got a bright future ahead of him and he’s been brilliant for us since he’s come in. It’s good to have him here.
“He’s got the attitude as well so that will take him a long way.”
Such high praise combined with his past play for the claret and blue should lead supporters to be optimistic about his future at Villa Park.
However, with the summer signings that have bolstered Dean Smith’s depth in midfield and on the wing, it looks likely that he will feature sparingly for the first team this season.
With the close of the transfer window imminent, it will be interesting to see if another loan is on the cards. Either way, it would be great to see Callum O’Hare eventually accomplish his goal of playing for Aston Villa at the highest level. He needs minutes to develop into the player that we know he can be.