Gabriel Agbonlahor Bio Send To Friend  

Under manager Martin O'Neill, the forward, who can play wide right or as a striker, really blossomed and was crowned Villa's Young Player of the Year in 2007.

In his first full season, 2006-07, the youngster played in almost every game and scored nine goals to confirm that he has a big future ahead of him.

The Erdington-born player has been with Villa since he was 14 and smashed Darius Vassell's youth team record for the most goals in a season by scoring 40 times during 2003-04 - including five during the run to the FA Youth Cup final.

The player got his first taste of the professional game in September 2005 when he was loaned to Watford, but didn't manage to make much of an impression.

He was then loaned to Sheffield Wednesday at the end of October, and although he played eight games for the Owls, he failed to get onto the scoresheet.

His return to Villa, and an extended run in the first eleven, resulted in selection for the England Under-21s but he missed out on the squad for the 2007 European U-21 Championship.

In 2007-08, he impressed and the year proved another step in the youngster's rise. Agbonlahor scored 11 goals and played a lot of the season out of position on the wing. Proving himself more than capable of cutting it in the top flight, he caught the eye of England boss Fabio Capello who put him in the squad for a friendly with Switzerland.

Agbonlahor was called up to the squad again for the friendly victories against the U.S.A. and Trinidad & Tobago in May/June 2008, although didn't play and had to wait until November to make his debut, when he was named to start against Germany in a friendly.

In August 2008, the club announced that Agbonlahor had signed a new four-year deal, tying him to the club until 2012 and, despite a disappointing end to the season, he was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, which he lost to Ashley Young.