Aston Villa confirms contract agreement as custodian signing
Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive, as the club confirm James Wright has signed a new deal
Aston Villa have confirmed that teenage custodian James Wright has signed a new deal with the club.
The 19-year-old joined Villa at the age of 16 and has played for the under-18s and under-21s in recent seasons. Wright made his senior debut earlier this month, starting on the bench against Everton.
He is the latest youth player to sign new contracts with the club since the beginning of January. Kerr Smith signed a new contract before moving on loan to St. Johnstone, and midfielder Tommi O’Reilly also extended his contract.
“We are delighted that James has signed a new contract,” Villa academy manager Mark Harrison stated. “Since joining us as a 16-year-old, James has been a role model both on and off the pitch.
“There is no doubt that his progress has grown as a result of this and the hard work of the staff, particularly Mark Naylor and Michael Pearce from our goalkeeping department, with strong assistance from Francisco Javier Garcia, the first team goalkeeping coach. We’re looking forward to witnessing how James grows over the next few years.”
Villa are also hoping to acquire a new custodian this month, who will compete with Robin Olsen as Emi Martinez’s backup. Elfsborg, a Swedish club, rejected Villa’s offer for Iceland custodian Hakon Valdimarsson until Brentford stepped in and agreed to sign the 22-year-old.
