Aston Villa: 16-year-old Sam Proctor receives six-figure fee against Brentford Teenager.
Sam Proctor has been named on the bench for Aston Villa’s Premier League game against Brentford on December 17, his first senior appearance under manager Unai Emery.
Proctor, 16, joined from Peterborough in 2021 for £100,000, the highest fee allowed for a 13-year-old at the time.
If Posh signs, the club will have to pay him an additional £50,000. His first professional commitment.
[Peterborough Telegraph]The shopper-stop was an England under-14 international when he arrived at Villa Park and has since progressed through the age groups, last playing for the under-18s as a 16-year-old.
The earliest a player can sign a professional contract is 17 years old.
Proctor is ineligible because he has not yet reached that age. Aston Villa development.
Unai Emery has been reluctant to rely on young players, with Philipp Martial and Tommy O’Reilly making their senior debuts in the Europa League game against Zrinski on 14 December.
So far this season, Proctor has made six appearances for Villa’s under-18s and once for the under-21s in Premier League Two, stepping up in the absence of his seniors.
[Transfer market]Playing PL2 football at 16 is an incredible achievement for a young player and how much he has been used in Villa’s youth ranks shows how highly regarded and respected he is by his academy coaches and now Emery.
Coming off the bench in a Premier League game is no small feat for a 16-year-old and confidence in his abilities will help Proctor justify paying the highest possible fee despite his tender age. .
He is in the right place for his development and the club’s confidence in him will help him persevere and progress in the coming months.
