Baker awarded with a 3 year deal

Three more years at Villa!!

So, there is confirmation from the club that the 22 year, Aston Villa academy graduate, Nathan Baker has extended his stay at the club for 3 more years, till the summer of 2016.

Clouded by the early progress of Ciaran Clark, while in the Academy, Baker has taken advantage of the time he got on the pitch this season. He has made 26 appearances in the league for Aston Villa. Among these there were occasion when he played out of his normal position as a left back. Towards the end of the season he kept his place as a center back replacing Clark mainly due to the later being injured.

Clark is considered a cultured defender who reads the game and who is good on the  ball. Baker on the other hand is considered to be more of a conventional center back who likes to put in a last ditch tackle or a brave block and who likes to clear the ball without showing off his dribbling talents. There were more than one occasion where these traits gifted him with bruised heads or a limping leg. However, despite being on the receiving end of such pain Baker appears to always come right back and fight his usual way.

We as Aston Villa fans always seem to expect a lot from our youngsters and most of the time they disappoint. Baker seems to be an exception to this rule. This may be also attributed to the fact that fans are far more excited by a striker or a playmaker than they are by a defender and for this reason there was less pressure on him to develop beyond his means. He was one of the most under-rated academy graduates we had at the club for the past couple of years and this season he has turned out to be one of the best talents that has developed through the ranks at Villa.

Baker has subjected himself into some mistakes too on the pitch including a very funny own goal against Reading at home. This is however understandable as he is still young and this was his maiden 'proper run' in the first tier of English Football.

We can hope of seeing better performances from this lad in the future. UTV!!!