By Aston Villa FC

Leon Routh was overjoyed after bagging the winner in the Under-18 Premier League National Final at Villa Park.

The centre-back was in the right place at the right time to smash home the only goal of the game after 72 minutes to see off Manchester City.

Having already lifted the FA Youth Cup and Premier League South title, it represented the team’s third piece of silverware of a superb season.

U18 National Final.

“It’s so good, it’s just a great feeling,” he said.

“We worked so hard over the course of the season and at some points I thought we might not be able to do it, but we trusted in Jimmy (Shan).

“We’ve done it and I can’t believe it.”

Routh added: “It tops it all off. Jimmy spoke about needing to win all three for it to mean something.

“The FA Youth Cup was massive, but if we didn’t win this one it wouldn’t have been the same.

U18 National Final.

“To win all three is unbelievable.”

Victory in B6 capped an incredible debut campaign at the club for Routh, who joined the Academy from Luton Town in July last year.

His first goal in claret and blue also came at the most opportune time to settle a close contest.

Routh said: “I didn’t see it straight away and then I saw TJ knock it across the box and I thought, ‘I’m there’.

“It’s my first goal of the season and I thought there was no way I was scoring today, I thought it was offside.

“It felt so good to score, especially in the last game of the season.”