Sorensen sees bright Villa future
Aston Villa goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen has praised the impact made by Gary Cahill and the club’s other rookie players pressed into first team, calling them “the future of the club”.
Cahill was given a full Premiership debut in Sunday’s derby with West Brom at Villa Park and quickly made his mark with goal-line clearances to deny Steve Watson and Kevin Campbell a winner for the Baggies.
Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor also acquitted himself well in a makeshift midfield role and other academy players in Steven Davis, Liam Ridgewell and Craig Gardner were also involved in the goalless draw.
Sorensen, 29, said: “Gary Cahill did tremendously well. He was up against Kevin Campbell and Diomansy Kamara, who are very strong in the air, but stood firm and had a few vital blocks as well.
“He was in the right place at the right time whenever he was needed and all credit to him for that but those occasions are great experience for all the young lads.
“You need to learn quick in those sort of games and I thought they all did really well. The experience which they probably lacked maybe told a bit in the second half.
“But they will get it with those kind of games. They can only come out of the West Brom game with a lot of confidence. With experience of these kind of games, the young lads will only get better and they are definitely the future of the club.”
Sorensen was the second-oldest player after striker Kevin Phillips in the Villa line-up but enjoyed the extra responsibility on his shoulders behind the central defensive partnership of Cahill, 20, and Ridgewell, 21.
He said: “I’ve played in the Premier League for a lot of years and I needed to take more responsibility than when Olof Mellberg and the experienced players are playing.
“We agreed before that we would talk a lot and make sure we covered each other’s backs and we did it really well and the communication flowed quite easily. That’s credit to them in front of me as well.
“You need to communicate, especially in those kind of games, and the lads are willing to listen as well, which makes it a lot easier.”
