Aston Villa striker Brian Madjo
Aston Villa striker Brian Madjo(Image: Getty Images)
Alan Hutton thinks Brian Madjo can make his Premier League breakthrough just like Wayne Rooney did as a teenager.
The 17-year-old striker impressed during Villa’s pre-season, scoring five goals in seven appearances, including in the 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.
After his excellent performance against PSG, where he dominated experienced centre-backs Willian Pacho and Marquinhos, Madjo was ruled out until at least September with an injury.
Despite that setback, former Villa defender Hutton has backed Madjo to achieve big things this season and beyond.
“Brian Madjo is like Wayne Rooney when he came through. At 17, to be physically so ready for the Premier League, that’s something you don’t see very often,” Hutton told BOYLE Sports.
“Aston Villa have been fighting to get him on the pitch playing in the Premier League and they’ve gone through the Court of Arbitration for Sport but seeing him in action against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup, it’s clear why.
Get YOUR Aston Villa Newsletter
Get the best Villa news, updates and analysis from John Townley and more, straight to your Inbox!
To get it, it's a quick and easy one-two:
Head THIS WAY
Enter your email and hit Subscribe.
“You look at all the goals he’s scored in pre-season, the bits and pieces we’ve seen this summer, and how he played against PSG, he is going to scare the life out of centre-backs in the Premier League once he’s allowed to play.
“I’m telling you, he is so ready to get out there and dominate defenders at this moment of time.
“He’s 17 and he bullied Pacho several times, and he could have scored a hat-trick against the reigning European champions, and the goal he did score was the probably the hardest finish of the lot for him.
“That’s a frightening thing to see from a 17-year-old, and he’s still learning. This is only the start.
“His movement is already very good and he’s going to be growing as a player under one of the best managers in world football, and I believe Unai Emery will know exactly how to get the best out of him.
“Look at him now at 17 and imagine how good he’ll be at 23 or 24, and if he keeps going in the same way, what kind of player could he become? It’s a very exciting time for Brian Madjo and Aston Villa.”