Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba Shines in Europa League Debut for Aston Villa

Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba began his youth career at West Bromwich Albion before transferring to Aston Villa in 2023.

In a thrilling match, the 19-year-old midfielder emerged as the match-winner for Aston Villa, scoring a crucial late goal that led to a 3-2 comeback victory over Red Bull Salzburg. This win allowed Villa to secure second place in the Europa League group stage.

Following the final whistle, teammate Amadou Onana celebrated Jimoh-Aloba’s achievement by guiding him toward the Holte End, where his goal was met with enthusiastic cheers from the home crowd.

With Ollie Watkins sidelined due to a first-half hamstring injury and Villa trailing 2-0 early in the second half, Unai Emery’s squad desperately needed a spark. Jimoh-Aloba, who had made his Premier League debut just last month, was brought on as a substitute in the 66th minute and scored the decisive goal mere minutes before the match ended, after contributions from Morgan Rogers and Tyrone Mings had narrowed the deficit.

“It’s a proud moment for me on my European debut,” Jimoh-Aloba expressed to TNT Sports post-match. “It’s really nice to make my family proud. I’ve experienced many lows this season, but this moment stands out. My mum is somewhere in the stands cheering for me.”

At just 19 years and 119 days, Jimoh-Aloba became the fourth-youngest player to score for Aston Villa in a major European competition.

Morgan Rogers, who shared an academy background with Jimoh-Aloba at West Brom, noted that the young player is likely to grow more confident with experience. “It’s a really nice moment for him. He works hard in training and gives his all. Although he may be shy and nervous, he consistently shows his quality during practice,” Rogers commented to BBC Sport.

“He was focused the moment he came on, and it was a truly special moment for him. I’ve taken a shine to him; he’s a great kid, and we all want to see him succeed.”

With key players Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, and Youri Tielemans unavailable due to injury, Emery also gave 18-year-old midfielder George Hemmings his full Villa debut, while academy graduate Kadan Young made an appearance off the bench.

Emery emphasized the importance of providing young players with opportunities to showcase their development. “It’s crucial for them to play and demonstrate their progress. I believe they performed admirably today. We have a plan for their growth, balancing protection while allowing them to gain experience in training and matches like this one. Everything went fantastically well,” he stated.

Jimoh-Aloba, who joined Villa from West Brom at the age of 16, had already represented England at the U16 and U17 levels. He made his senior debut as a substitute in the Carabao Cup victory over Wycombe in September 2024 and was part of Villa’s Premier League squad against Leicester a year ago. He signed a long-term contract with the club in October 2024, contributing to their FA Youth Cup triumph last season by scoring in the final against Manchester City.

His league debut occurred just last month in a 4-1 defeat to Arsenal, and he also participated in the Carabao Cup match against Brentford in September.