Jacob Ramsey commits to Aston Villa long-term

Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey has put pen to paper on a new contract keeping him in the West Midlands until the summer of 2027.

Ramsey made his professional debut for the club he joined aged 6, in 2019 before embarking on a disrupted loan spell at Doncaster Rovers due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Following a settling in period last campaign, featuring mainly as a substitute, in 2021/22 the 20-year-old has been able to assert his standing within Aston Villa’s senior side.

“It’s a proud moment for me, especially for my family,” Ramsey told Aston Villa in his first interview since signing the new deal.

"“I’ve been here a long time now, come through the Academy, and to sign for another five years at this club, I’m over the moon."

"“There’s so many people who have helped me get to this point now, I can’t thank everyone enough from Under-9s, to being a scholar, to U23s and then stepping up to the first team."

"“It’s been good; a lot of up and down moments but it’s all part of the journey and I feel like I’ve been playing well this season so it’s nice to be rewarded with a new contract.”"

Making 30 appearances this season, 26 coming from the start, the Birmingham-born youngster has also chipped in with 6 goals and an assist.

A mainstay under previous boss Dean Smith, Ramsey was able to retain his spot following Steven Gerrard’s appointment in November last year.

Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey; the epitome of the modern-day midfielder

Under Gerrard, Ramsey is featured in a hybrid role as a ‘6’, ‘8’ and on occasions even a ‘10’.

In Layman’s terms, the England U21 international can defend, attack and act as a metronome between the two.

The expectancy for a midfielder to take up a variety of roles is becoming more common, and comparisons can be drawn between Ramsey and Crystal Palace loanee Conor Gallagher along with Leicester’s own breakout star Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Key attributes include an ability to press or cut passing lanes, progressive carry and vitally deliver a goal-creating action whether that be a pass or shot.

The reason behind their rise in popularity is representative of football’s wider development, with each position’s responsibilities widening.

Take full-back for example. Gone are the days when full-backs were expected to provide defensive cover and any attacking ability was purely a bonus.

Led by the likes of Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Chelsea’s Reece James, the above is now an expectancy.

Managers including Jürgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel implement fluid systems that require players to put their hand to several positions within one.

This acts as evidence as to why Jacob Ramsey’s future is so bright and why Aston Villa were so eager to tie him down long-term.

As talk of a senior England call-up inevitably amplifies and elite clubs come knocking, his boyhood club have put themselves in good stead to profit on the loss his departure could prove to be.