A tribute to Harvey Elliott: Aston Villa owe you one

Villa's botched Elliott deal should already have led to regulatory reform in football's loan market

England triumphed at the Under-21 European Championship in Slovakia last summer. It was the fourth time they’d won the competition and they had to scrap for it every step of the way.

Harvey Elliott was magnificent. He scored both goals against the Netherlands in the semi-final and the first against Germany in the final. He was named the best player in the tournament.

With the World Cup a year away and Elliott ageing out of Under-21 football, he was on the cusp of a crucial decision. He needed playing time and wasn’t getting it at Liverpool, so he left – or so we thought – with a heavy heart.

Elliott joined Aston Villa on loan on transfer deadline day at the beginning of September and I thought it was the perfect move for him.

He was joining a competitive club with a need to strengthen in his position and a manager with a proven track record of improving individual players. Elliott had fantastic potential and I couldn’t wait to see it fulfilled at Villa Park.