If Unai Emery Villa's best appointment of the past seasons represents, Mark Harrison is not far behind.
Poached from West Bromwich Albion in 2019 and asked to revise the Academy System of Villa, this is the second time since the arrival of Harrison that Villa has reached the FA Youth Cup final.
Before that they had only reached one final in 16 years.
Former Chief Executive Christian Purlow believed that hiring Harrison was one of his most crucial decisions in Villa Park in five years.
And with the financial limitations of the Premier League a constant headache for Villa, selling home -grown players such as Cameron Archer, Aaron Ramsey and Jaden Philogenic is crucial. Aaron's older brother, Jacob, can leave this summer for a considerable fee to alleviate the pressure on the bottom line.
Mail Sport has spoken with various figures with expert knowledge of the Academy, including Charlie Jennings of the excellent @Academyavfc X account, to profile their six brightest stars.
Triston Rowe (right back/center back)
An important member of the team of England under the 19S, Rowe has trained with the first team and was on the bank for the domestic cup matches against Wycombe and Cardiff this period.
Rowe came to Villa from West Brom at the age of 15 and is expected to get his first taste of senior football next season, on loan at an EFL club.
He likes to attack full back and has an impressive dribbling and ball-wearing skills. Gareth Bale started left back before he developed into an attacker and Rowe can eventually play as a winger at senior level.
Rowe can also play in central defense and is emphasized for his leadership skills. His fellow youth product Kaine Keser-Hayden seemed to be on loan in Preston and Rowe can follow a similar path.
Cole Brannigan (attacking midfield)
Just like his more famous namesake, Brannigan likes to play the 'shivering' party during scoring. He has a way to reach the level of Cole Palmer, but the signs are promising.
Villa's Academy Recruitment is an important pillar of their general strategy and Brannigan has made an impression since he had moved from the Northern Irish club Linfield two years ago, in particular with a stunning chip to seal the victory over Plymouth in the quarter finals of this year's campaign.
Despite his small framework, the high technical level of Brannigan enables him to make an impact on more powerful players, although it will be interesting to see if this slows down his progress while going to Senior football.
Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba (attacking midfield/Vooruit)
Jimoh-Aloba is another player who was brought from West Brom and perhaps considers the most talented of the current crop under the age of 18.
He is a natural technician who can run with the ball and make goals and score – exactly the qualities that Unai Emery convinced to sign Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough in January 2024.
Jimoh-Aloba has made all his senior debut, as a late replacement in the FA Cup victory in Cardiff in February, as well as in three EFL-trophy matches this period.
He has represented England at youth level and is described by Harrison as “a good ball manager who can be effective in and around both penalty boxes.”
It would be no surprise to spend him part of the preseason with the team of the first team, perhaps for a loan or in the PSR world-even a sale with a return option to a club in the EFL.
Woody Burgess (midfield/right back)
Burgess is eligible for both England and Germany and started with the city of Cheltenham before he was taken by Villa. He has already played for Germany at youth level.
With Emery Prizing versatility over almost any other assets in the modern game, Burgess' ability to play in both defense and midfield will certainly have attracted the attention of those who run the first team.
He has an excellent reach of passing and a talent of hanging in tight spaces.
Players of the potential of Burgess mean that Villa's youth arrangement is almost as high as that of Chelsea and Manchester City. If he can help them with the victory in the final, the reputation of Burgess – and that of the club – will only continue to grow.
Sam Proctor (goalkeeper)
Although he has never made a first team, Proctor already knows what it is like to be pronounced by a hostile stadium for a quarterfinals of the Champions League.
On the couch for Villa's draw against Paris Saint-Germain last month, Proctor came forward for global warming in Parc des Princes to be greeted by whistles and catcalls from all sides of the ground, because they were mistaken for Emiliano Martinez.
Martinez is the arch-villain of the French sporting audience and so desperate they were to scream at the Argentinian that few realized that they actually focused on Proctor.
The episode must prepare Proctor for the tests that are for us. Villa drew him from Peterborough and appreciated how comfortable it is with ball on feet. A big future ahead.
Mason Cotcher (Vooruit)
Villa won the race for the center after his decision to sign a professional contract with Sunderland.
There was a considerable compensation costs and there has been a lot of noise about Cotcher in youth circles for some time.
He scored five goals in Villa's Run to the final, and registers four in the UEFA Youth League, and belongs to a desk with Bayern Munich -stars Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane on her customer list.
Cotcher attracts the attention for his rough finish and leadership qualities. He also made three performances in the EFL trophy this season.