The headlines of late have been mostly dominated by transfer rumours, eye watering multi-million-pound bids and the shenanigans of Infantino. Suddenly there was a bit of good cheer. A 17 year old became the .youngest player to score in the UEFA Super Cup
The Aston Villa forward Brian Madjo grabbed the headlines in the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain with this remarkable feat. Villa eventually lost 2–1, but the result was almost secondary to the emergence of a remarkable new talent.
Madjo’s story was made even more interesting by the fact that his path to playing for Villa had been delayed by questions over his international eligibility. After an appeal process, he was finally cleared to play and he certainly made up for lost time.
He actually did not have a perfect debut. There were mistakes and missed opportunities. But perhaps that was what made his performance even more impressive: he kept going. He kept asking for the ball. And when his moment arrived, he took it.
In an era when clubs spend fortunes searching for the next superstar, Aston Villa may have discovered something far more exciting already sitting in their own ranks.
The transfer window can wait. The rumours can wait. Sometimes, the most interesting football story is not about a player moving to a new club.
Sometimes, it is about a new player arriving.
The pundits weigh in..