Josh Feeney has been making the most of every minute during pre-season with Aston Villa in Australia.
The 17-year-old is the youngest member of the touring squad and this is his first pre-season with the senior side.
Feeney has embraced the opportunity and has been doing his best to impress.
He said: “It’s been a really great experience to be around the senior lads a bit more and see what a first team pre-season is like.
“It’s been more intense than I’m used to, but I’ve had a lot of help from the senior lads to help me get through it.
“It’s been nice to feel wanted by the first team at such a young age. It shows that the manager wants me as well.
“I was buzzing when I found out.”
The centre-back has enjoyed a swift rise at Villa after joining the club from Fleetwood Town last summer.
Feeney was named on the bench for a Premier League game against Brentford when he was 16 and he’s featured against Walsall and Leeds United in recent weeks.
“The Walsall game was really good, it was my first 45 minutes with the first team and I really enjoyed it,” Feeney said.
“The game against Leeds was a tough test. At 17, playing against a Premier League side was quite tough.
“I enjoyed every minute of it. It was the most fans I’ve played in front of.
He added: “It’s (his career at Villa) gone beyond my expectations. I didn’t think at all that I’d be in and around the first team already.
“It just shows that the manager trusts in me and the closeness with the Academy.”
