'Powerful' star benched; BBC man says Gerrard may unleash 'massive' Villa surprise vs Saints

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard may need to offer Jacob Ramsey a ‘small rest period’ for the youngster’s benefit.

That’s according to the former Leeds United man Noel Whelan, who was speaking to Football Insider.

Ramsey was a substitute for the final four matches of Dean Smith’s tenure but returned to the starting line-up for Gerrard’s first game in charge against Brighton in November and has featured in the XI for all but one Premier League fixture since.

The 20-year-old has scored five goals, one of which ignited Villa’s comeback in their 2-2 draw with Manchester United in January.

Only Ollie Watkins (six) has found the net more times for the Midlands outfit so far this season.

Ramsey has well and truly ‘burst onto the scene’, in the words of Whelan, with The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath claiming he could now be on Gareth Southgate’s radar for the World Cup at the end of the year.

Whelan, a pundit for BBC Radio Leeds, is under no illusions as to the qualities Ramsey provides – end-product, drive and energy – but warned that they may be feeling ‘the pinch of the Premier League’.

Gerrard, he says, will be wary of the physical and mental toll for a young player who’s just broken through, and may briefly take him out of the firing line as a result in a ‘massive call’.

“He’s really burst onto the scene and claimed that spot,” Whelan said.

“He has brought goals, assists into that midfield – and he’s quite a powerful player. That’s what you’ve got to look at. He drives with the ball and gives you loads of energy.

“I think sometimes as a younger player coming through after being in that youth setup – you can feel the pinch of the Premier League.

“He’s played a lot of games in the past couple of months, and that requires a lot