Ian Long, manager of Pitching In Southern Football League Premier Division Central club Alvechurch, reckons he has pulled off something of a coup by obtaining the signature of youngster Jack Birch.
The 19-year-old was recently released by Premier League Aston Villa after over a decade at Villa Park.
After joining the club as an under-9, he developed into a defensive midfielder who became a regular in Villa's under-18 side and made the step up to the under-23 ranks in the Premier League 2 - playing nine games before academy football was curtailed.
He signed his first professional deal with the Villans in January 2019.
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