It seems every youngster these days wants to be a footballer, but not every 12-year-old dreams of being a football reporter covering Aston Villa.

That's why when I received some enthusiastic match reports from 12-year-old Will Hughes, I decided to get in touch and find out a bit more about how he feels as a youngster watching the exciting transformation of Villa. Here's what he had to say...

What made you want to be an Aston Villa fan?

As soon as I got into football there was only one club really, I watched all the games I could with my Dad and his side of the family have been Villans for as long as anyone could remember.

To contrast though, my Mom’s side of the family are Birmingham City fans. My cousin has a YouTube Channel called Sadie the Blue Nose that follows Birmingham City Women and occasionally the odd Men’s game as well.

However, I actually got into football in general because for Christmas 2022, my Dad bought me FIFA 23 legacy edition for my Nintendo Switch Lite. As soon as I could get to grips with the rules and controls, that was it. All of my spare time was invested into that game and it would be a misjudgement to say that it wasn’t how I got into the sport.

Why do you think Villa are doing so well?

I think Emery is doing everything he possibly can for the club. He has been given near full control of the club and his tactics are incredible. I’ve looked into his tactics quite a lot and am shocked every time by his pure genius.

I also think that we have been smart in these past few windows under Unai, buying younger players and selling players that are not an asset to his squad.

Players like Rogers, Onana and Torres have all come in to the club, which I don’t think is appreciated enough. Rogers is a great player and although he goes a bit hot and cold at times, when he is on it (like against Spurs, what a performance!) I think he is one of the best in the league without competition.

However, I do not think he is the best player in our squad. John McGinn takes that because of his pure dribbling, understanding of movement and so much more. But on top of this, his consistency is what makes him our strongest outfield asset. I say outfield because we cannot just ignore Emi Martinez, he is the world’s No.1 for 2 years in a row. His top class saves that he makes every game showcase his absolute quality.

What makes Unai Emery such a good manager?

His overall tactics he executes is outstanding and the transfer window strategies are also top notch. He has been given the full control and he is the centre and therefore heart and soul of Villa.

He has had his trusted staff and colleagues implemented around him and I think everyone can see he is why Villa have succeeded in the past couple of seasons.

After Gerrard’s sacking during a poor start to the 22/23 season many did not know who the new manager would be and if they could be trusted. Gerrard was a big name coming into the club and he had the backing of the fans because of his successes at Scottish club Glasgow Rangers - but we all know how that went.

How far can Villa go this season?

At the start of the season, I said I would think of our season as a success if we could be competitive in the Champions League and remain trying to qualify for European competitions even if it is just the Conference League, like before. I have predicted it perfectly so far!

I really do hope we can push far into the Champions League like into the Quarters of the competition. A Europa League position could be possible, but any sort of European contest would be amazing as it shows progress with our squad depth and capabilities.

What do you think of the Marcus Rashford signing?

Rashford has had an odd time, recently. He was a talisman for Manchester United and after a change in managers, he became a player who was stuck on the bench without a bit of game time.

Now, he decided that for him his best option was a loan spell and Emery enlisted him in our squad. He had a promising debut against Tottenham in the FA Cup 4th round and I think if there’s a manager who could fix a player like himself, its our super Unai Emery.

He showed his true class throughout the time he played with chances created and a nearly penalty. He can improve greatly and I do see that in the summer his deal may be made permanent.

Editor's note

We appreciate your views, Will. Thanks for sending them in for fellow Villa fans to read and enjoy. Hopefully we will see you writing for the Birmingham Mail at Villa Park, one day in the future!