Aston Villa confirmed the signing of Samuel Iling-Junior from Juventus this week.
The 20-year-old returns to England after a four-year stay in Italy, where he featured in Serie A and Europe for the Turin club.
Here’s how the young winger’s career has unfolded so far…
Blue beginnings
A London native, Iling-Junior was signed by Chelsea as an eight-year-old and honed his skills in their Academy for nine years.
His ability saw him move through the ranks quickly and at the age of 16, he was moved up to the Blues’ under-19 squad.
Iling-Junior went on to feature for the club in the UEFA Youth League before making the decision to leave Chelsea in the summer of 2020.
Italian adventure
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain were among the clubs queued up to sign him, but it was Juventus who succeeded in their pursuit.
Iling-Junior starred for the club’s Next Gen (under-23s) section before first-team manager Massimiliano Allegri brought him into the senior set-up.
His Serie A debut was made in October 2022 and was quickly followed by a maiden appearance in the Champions League, which was marked with an assist.
After playing 27 times in 2023/24, Iling-Junior departed having made 45 appearances for the Italian giants.
Trophy time
The crowning moment of Iling-Junior’s stay in Italy came in May when Juventus faced Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final.
Iling-Junior, who featured in the Round of 16 and quarter-finals but was on the bench for both legs of the semi-final, played the full 90 minutes as Juve triumphed 1-0.
He was deployed on the left-hand side of midfield in a 3-5-2 formation as the club won a record 15th title.
Athletic ability
The 20-year-old initially caught the eye in Turin with his cameos from the bench, providing a burst of searing speed and tormenting defenders.
As his standing in the squad rose, Iling-Junior was able to showcase tremendous technical ability to go alongside his physical attributes.
He played in a variety of positions for Juventus down their left-hand side, but also showed that he’s comfortable with the ball on either foot, enabling him to cut in or stay wide.
International promise
Iling-Junior has progressed through the age group ranks with England, winning honours along the way.
After making his international bow for the Under-15s, he was part of the Three Lions squad that won the Under-19 European Championship in 2022.
The winger went on to play for the Under-20 squad before progressing into the Under-21s, where he’s won five caps to date – the last of which saw him score twice against Luxembourg.
