‘The perfect night’ was how Kaine Kesler described Aston Villa’s FA Youth Cup triumph against Liverpool at Villa Park.
After seeing off the Reds 2-1 to secure the club’s fourth Youth Cup, captain Kesler lifted the trophy in front of 4,750 adoring fans.
And in his post-match interview, the defender couldn’t stop smiling as the team’s achievements began to sink in.
He said: “Incredible. To do it [lift the trophy] in front of the fans is just amazing. You could hear them everywhere you were on the pitch.
“They were chanting everyone’s names and it was just incredible. To win it here as well – it was the perfect night.
“The whole stadium was incredible. It’s the most I’ve ever played in front of. From the first minute I walked out, the smile didn’t come off my face and you could see it from a mile away.”
Villa did the damage in the space of four first half minutes, with Ben Chrisene putting them ahead before Brad Young netted a penalty.
While the Young Lions’ attacking talent has never been in doubt during their cup run, they showed all their defensive qualities to keep Liverpool from equalising as the pressure mounted late in the game.
Kesler said: “That fast start gave us the confidence to for the rest of the game. Towards the end, we showed our team spirit with how much we were fighting – even in the last minute with Sil blocking on the line.
“We had nerves, but we knew we could win the game comfortably. The game was a bit scary towards the end, but the lads did amazing.
“From the start of the season – not even in the Youth Cup – everyone’s progress has been amazing. I’m so proud of them all.”
