Steven Gerrard has admitted the emergency of Jacob Ramsey has taken him by surprise this season. The Aston Villa midfielder is enjoying a stellar season at Villa Park and while he has missed out on a place in the latest England squad, he is certainly on the radar of Gareth Southgate in World Cup year. In an interview with former England teammate Rio Ferdinand for BT Sport, Gerrard said he is excited about the young talent that is coming through at Villa.
Steven Gerrard said: “They excite me every day. There is a lot of talent around. We’ve got an emergence of talent coming through the Academy, I must mention that. Philippe [Coutinho], Lucas [Digne] and Calum [Chambers], because they’ve operated at elite clubs, they’ve brought quality to what was already here. There’s certainly big potential, there’s excitement, but we’ve got to deliver.”
Steven Gerrard added: “The surprise package, if I had to pick one, would be Ramsey. I knew he was a good player when I came in. I’d seen the finish against Arsenal where he’s curled it into the top corner. In terms of consistency on a daily basis and someone who is striving to improve and get better, he’s been the standout. Just because of his age, he’s scored six Premier League goals now and I know he wants more. I spoke to him about his numbers when I first came in and the position he’s playing for us in the team, he’s got a licence to run forward with and without the ball. He’s someone who likes to drive and take it up to people. He’s been an absolute pleasure to deal with, very humble. He’s a really exciting one, not just for Villa but for England as well.”
