Daniel Devine
But despite missing most of the campaign through injury, there was some light at the end of the tunnel for the Irish defender. Devine made his long-awaited return to action as a substitute for the U18s in a 4-0 win over Portsmouth in April. He then started in defence the following week in a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, before coming off the bench for the reserves against Fulham in the final game of the regular league season. Now the Dublin-born ace will be hoping to get his Villa career back on track after standing out during his time in the academy ranks. Devine was rock solid throughout Villa's run to the FA Youth Cup final in 2009-10. One of the most iconic moments of that campaign came in the quarter-final at Craven Cottage, when Devine scored in the dying seconds of extra-time against Fulham to take the tie to penalties. Devine produced a lionhearted display in the semi-final second leg against Newcastle at St James' Park and scored with a header against Chelsea in the final first leg. In 2010-11, his partnership with compatriot Derrick Williams went from strength to strength, as Villa secured the Barclays Premier Academy League Group B crown with the best defensive record in the country. There was a also a step up to the reserves side for Devine, who made several appearances for Kevin MacDonald's team. |
