ASTON VILLA handed a shock FA Cup bench call-up against Chelsea to an ex-Blues kid best known for being Declan Rice’s cousin.
And the starlet in question, Finley Munroe, might still be at Stamford Bridge – if club chiefs had taken the advice of club legend Ashley Cole.
Villa named the 18-year-old left-back as a sub for Friday night’s fourth-round tie at Chelsea.
The Birmingham Mail say the elegant defender is a cousin of Arsenal’s £105million England midfielder Rice.
Munroe was at Chelsea as a kid, only to be shown the exit door aged 16.
But it’s thought former Blues’ and Arsenal left-back Cole urged the club to KEEP the youngster.
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Instead, Munroe had to move on – choosing Villa Park and developing impressively over the past two seasons.
A regular for their Under-18s last term, he has played five times for the U-23s in the current campaign.
The Birmingham Mail report that he was much in demand in 2021 once Chelsea declined to retain him.
Leicester City and Nottingham Forest are said to have offered Munroe professional terms – as other clubs hovered.
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But Villa won the race – with academy chief Mark Harrison regarded as the main influence in recruiting him.
Munroe watched sitting down on Friday evening as Douglas Luiz had an early opener for Villa ruled out at Stamford Bridge.
Unai Emery’s men were facing a Chelsea side with record buys Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez paired in central midfield – but without a recognised centre-forward.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
