The Story So Far: Jacob Ramsey | OneFootball

Born in Great Barr, Birmingham on 28 May 2001, Ramsey joined Villa's Academy at the tender age of six and, after progressing through the club's youth ranks along with his younger brother Aaron, signed his first professional contract with his boyhood club 12 years later.

Ramsey enjoyed a goal-laden 2018/19 season after netting ten times at youth level, including four strikes in Villa's FA Youth Cup campaign, before making his professional debut in a Championship clash against local rivals West Bromwich Albion in February 2019.

Aged 17, the highly-rated midfielder picked up the club's Academy Player of the Season award for 2018/19, receiving the prize from former Villa winger Jack Grealish at an end-of-season awards ceremony.

Ramsey gained valuable first-team experience away from Villa Park during the second-half of the 2019/20 season, joining Doncaster Rovers on loan in January as well as signing a new three-and-a-half year contract with Villa on the same day.

Making his full professional debut in a League One clash against Tranmere Rovers, Ramsey scored a brace in a 3-0 win at Prenton Park but, despite netting three goals in seven league matches for Donny, their season was sadly curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ramsey was handed his full debut for Villa in September 2020, a 3-1 victory against Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup before making his Premier League bow 13 days as a second-half substitute in a 3-0 away win over Fulham.

In December that year, Ramsey was handed his first start in the English top-flight as Villa claimed a 1-0 win against West Midlands neighbours Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.

The England youth international, who scored on his under-20s bow in a 2-0 win against Wales in October 2020, was rewarded with a new four-and-a-half year contract in February 2021.

The following season saw Ramsey net his first Premier League goal, a late consolation strike in a 3-1 defeat against Arsenal in October 2021 before picking up the club's Player of the Month for December, voted by fans, a month which included an impressive solo goal against Norwich City.

Ramsey began the new year in positive fashion, scoring his first goal at Villa Park in a 2-2 comeback draw against Manchester United before netting his first Premier League brace against Leeds United the following month.

At Villa's End Of Season awards, Ramsey was voted the club's Young Player of the Season by fans as well as the Players' Player of the Season by his teammates.

After recording six goals and seven assists during Villa's 2022/23 Premier League campaign, which included a goal and assist during a 3-0 win against Newcastle in April, Ramsey was named in the England Under-21s squad ahead of the 2023 European Under-21 Championship finals, held in Georgia and Romania.

The Birmingham-born youngster scored in the Young Lions' opening group fixture, a 2-0 win against Czechia, and was handed the captain's armband by head coach Lee Carsley for their 2-0 win against Germany, contributing with an assist to help secure top spot in Group C.

In the quarter-finals, though, Ramsey suffered a broken metatarsal in a 1-0 win against Portugal and, as a result, missed the semi-final and final triumphs over Israel and Spain respectively as England's youngsters were crowned European champions for the first time in 39 years.

Ramsey boasts Champions League experience after featuring in the competition last season and was on target in Villa's 3-0 away win against Swiss side BSC Young Boys, the club's first game in the tournament since 1983.

The attacking midfielder also produced two assists in Villa's 4-2 win against Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, playing the full 90 minutes of their final group game, as Unai Emery's side clinched a top-eight finish, gaining an automatic passage into the Round of 16.

Despite beating Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals, Villa were knocked out of the tournament by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain, with Ramsey starting the first leg in the French capital as well as featuring in the second-leg, which saw the West Midlands outfit recover from two goals down to claim a 3-2 victory against the current European champions.

Ramsey is nearing 150 Premier League appearances since his debut almost five years ago and is relishing the first move of his playing career.

"Football is getting to a stage where 24 is old but I still feel really young," he told newcastleunited.com. "I've got many, many years ahead of me and after two difficult seasons, I probably need a fresh start, a new environment and this is the perfect spot for me to push on and get back to those levels.

"First and foremost, every footballer backs their ability and, secondly, we're going to have loads of games. We're in the Champions League and when I was at Villa last season, the games were coming thick and fast so there's going to be plenty of opportunities to play. It's just down to me."