Newport's Finn Azaz on track to become next Aston Villa star thanks to EFL loan system

Finn Azaz was born in Westminster – or Lockdown Party Central as it is now known.

But away from 'work events' at the Boris Arms, on-loan Aston Villa playmaker Azaz has been putting the fizz into Newport County's midfield.

If you haven't seen the EFL Young Player of the Month's winner for the Exiles against Port Vale in League Two a couple of months ago, check it out on YouTube.

In the nicest possible way, it's absolute filth: Chest trap, quick feet, top corner, wallop. His Villa manager Steven Gerrard, who wasn't shy of scoring the odd jaw-dropper himself, would surely have approved.

Azaz has become the latest standard-bearer for the loan system where Premier League clubs send their young thrusters into the shires, and in many cases the rough diamonds come back as 24-carat sparklers.

This has been the EFL's Youth Development Week, an annual celebration of clubs who nurture home-grown talent instead of leaving oligarchs, oil barons and entire states to pick up the tab for grotesque transfer expenditure.

They might be making a four-act drama of the crisis at Derby County, but let's give the League its due.

Every single player in the last England squad – including coach Gareth Southgate – either started at an EFL club, graduated from an EFL academy or made their debut in an EFL competition.

And last season, 81 per cent of players named on EFL teamsheets were home-grown players.

For the peak of the pyramid to thrive, the foundations need to be well-pointed – and 21-year-old Azaz is playing a peaky blinder down at Rodney Parade.

“It's nice to get this recognition because when you're playing in League Two, you think not that many people are watching,” he said.

“It's also recognition for the team, because we won four in a row