Jacob Ramsey: Young midfielder who is 'not following in anyone's footsteps'

Jacob Ramsey (centre) celebrates with Philippe Coutinho and Emiliano Buendia — Ramsey's two goals on Wednesday took him to four for the season

It says all you need to know about Jacob Ramsey that in a rollercoaster game in which the third most expensive player in football history registered a goal and two assists, many of those in attendance at Villa Park will spend as much time reflecting on the display of a 20-year-old from Great Barr.

The superb six-goal thriller with Leeds showcased numerous stellar displays, including Daniel James for the visitors and Philippe Coutinho for the home side, but nothing quite excites like "one of your own".

And Ramsey is very much that - Birmingham-born, a Villa academy graduate and now a fully fledged first-teamer with rave reviews following almost every display.

Wednesday's game set a new benchmark for the young midfielder, drawing the most effusive praise yet from a manager who still has work to do but is now starting to see his attacking gameplan bear fruit.

'He is a sponge, he wants to learn'

"Jacob Ramsey is Jacob Ramsey," Gerrard told BT Sport. "He's not following in anyone's footsteps.

"He will be a terrific player. It won't be long before the whole country is watching him I'm sure. He is right up there, let me tell you."

Clearly Ramsey remains a work in progress, with 42 Premier League games under his belt, but 20 of them coming this season as a regular component of the Villa midfield.

He has scored goals before, including a wonderful solo effort in a 2-0 win at Norwich in December.

But his two against Leeds came with some authority, courtesy of the kind of powerful, driving runs and calm but clinical finishes of a player in full control of his game and steered where he can most do damage.

It is not an exaggeration to say that they were reminiscent of the kind of goals Gerrard himself scored during his 18-year playing career, spent predominantly driving through midfield and lashing in for Liverpool for England.

"He has given me a lot of confidence," said Ramsey of Gerrard after the game. "I grew up watching him so now he's a gaffer I can only take his advice.

"I'm obviously over the moon to get two goals at Villa Park in a big game but we let in two silly goals so I'm still disappointed."

In the BT Sport studio for the game was ex-West Ham and Chelsea player Joe Cole, another former England midfielder who knows a thing or two about devastating runs and finishes from midfield.

"Jacob Ramsey catches the eye," he said. "He is so athletic.

"I have seen little glimpses of him before, but this is the first time I have seen him live. I am so impressed with the timing of his runs and his intelligence as well.

"I spoke to some of the Villa guys before about him and they said he is a sponge, he wants to learn and to take it all in."

This will be music to the ears of Villa fans who had to cope with the loss of their previous homegrown hero, Jack Grealish, in the summer.

'Vintage Coutinho'

Philippe Coutinho — In just three games for Villa so far, Coutinho has two goals and two assists

Coutinho's quality is more broadly known.

This is a Brazilian player who excelled for Liverpool while Gerrard was still playing there in the 2010s and prompted Barcelona to part with £142m for his services in 2018.

It hasn't gone entirely to plan since, but the talent is still there and emerged in scintillating moments on Wednesday.

He levelled the game at 1-1 with clever movement in the box and a sharp finish and then cut Leeds' defence to ribbons to set up both of Ramsey's goals before tiring and departing late on.

"It was vintage Coutinho tonight," said Gerrard. "Certainly getting back close to where he was when the world was speaking about him."

Cole echoed those sentiments, saying: "Coutinho played with moments. He is still not up to the level we have seen before, when he left this country and he was one of the best in the world. I believe and hope he will get back there."

On Match of the Day, Dion Dublin threw the impressively selfless display of Ollie Watkins into the mix too.

"The three of them [Philippe Coutinho, Jacob Ramsey and Ollie Watkins] were very much in sync," he said. "They always seemed to find the spaces when the other wasn't there.

"They leave the space for the other to come into, which is what they do very well.

"Jacob Ramsey's goal was a very accomplished finish. He runs into the space quickly then calms down in front of goal just steers it into the corner. How old is he again?

"Ramsey and Watkins are allowing Coutinho to go where he wants to go and they will make their runs off of where he is - just because of his experience and his class.

"They are enjoying making the runs and receiving the ball from a player like him."