SALZBURG: Aston Villa’s 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo made an impressive competitive debut by scoring against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, ending an eight-month wait for his first official appearance after the club successfully overturned FIFA registration restrictions.
Despite Villa’s 2-1 defeat to PSG, Madjo’s performance provided a major positive for manager Unai Emery ahead of the new Premier League season.
Why did Brian Madjo have to wait eight months for his debut?
Madjo joined Aston Villa from French club Metz in January, but FIFA initially prevented the club from registering the teenager because of international transfer rules for under-18 players. Villa successfully appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), allowing the England Under-17 international to become eligible earlier this month.
The 17-year-old marked his long-awaited debut by scoring Villa’s equaliser after holding off PSG defender Willian Pacho before volleying home.
What does Madjo’s debut mean for Aston Villa?
Manager Unai Emery praised Madjo’s tactical discipline, work rate and composure, saying his selection was based on performances in training and pre-season rather than solely his goalscoring ability. The teenager’s display comes as Villa continue to assess their attacking options ahead of the Premier League campaign.
Madjo’s emergence could provide Villa with additional depth in attack as the club prepares for its league opener against Brighton later this month.