Liam Bateman

Liam Bateman was snapped up from Derby County as a 15-year-old after impressing Villa's talent-spotters with his remarkable athleticism.

The teenage defender's preferred position is at right-back.

He made a handful of appearances in the Barclays Premier Academy League in 2011-12 and found the target on two occasions.

His first goal came in an 11-3 victory over MK Dons in October as Tony McAndrew's team ended a six-match winless run.

Bateman scored again in the penultimate match of the season as the claret and blues defeated Portsmouth 4-0.

England youth scouts have watched Bateman closely although his progress was been halted by injuries during his time playing for Villa's U16s.

Bateman, from East London, is a huge admirer of attacking full-backs such as Daniel Alves and Patrice Evra.