Jacob Ramsey is thankful for the faith being shown in him by Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith.
The homegrown midfielder was awarded his Premier League debut against Fulham in September before making his maiden start against Wolves three months later.
And the appearances have kept coming for the 19-year-old, who has now played in 12 top-flight games.
Ramsey appreciates the support of Smith, and he believes their relationship is aided by their mutual affinity for the club.
He said: “That makes it (their relationship) a little bit better, knowing that the gaffer’s from the area as well. He grew up a Villa fan, so he gets how I feel coming through the Academy, being a local lad, being a fan of the football club.
“I’ve seen little bits on social media in his interviews, and whenever I’m mentioned he always praises me, which is good.
“It does my confidence the world of good, having a gaffer that praises me a lot.”
The midfielder recently made consecutive Premier League starts for the first time, impressing against Leeds and following it up versus Sheffield United.
Having worked to be at this level since joining the club aged six, Ramsey is taking it all in his stride.
He said: “When I first signed at Under-8s, the aim was to be in the first team and play regularly in the Premier League, the best league in the world.
“I’m currently doing that. I’ve still got a lot of things to improve on, but I’m going in the right direction.
“I’ve just got to listen to my coaches, the people around me and the players in order to make it to the top.”
You can watch the full interview with Ramsey below…
