What Ollie Watkins shouted at Lucas Digne as Steven Gerrard shows his class again

We’re amidst the final week of Aston Villa’s season with the players preparing for two big fixtures against Burnley and Man City just three days apart. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at training at Bodymoor Heath with Steven Gerrard and his coaching staff working the first-team hard in the heat.

Dutch teenager Lamare Bogarde is back involved in first-team training sessions. The FA Youth Cup winner had been sidelined for the past six months with a serious injury - and last featured in a match back in November in the EFL Trophy. Bogarde’s highly revered at Villa and has continued to impress following his move from Feyenoord in the summer of 2020. The 18-year-old defensive midfielder, who has filled in at centre-back previously, has joined the likes of Tommi O’Reilly, Ben Chrisene and Josh Feeney in first-team sessions.

Tyrone Mings was distraught with Lucas Digne during a game of four-vs-four head tennis. Frenchman Digne headed beyond the far line and out of the small court, to which Ollie Watkins replied: “He’s sucked him in! He’s sucked him in!”

It was Watkins who lifted the ball up for Digne to head - only for the left-back to look for a big winner which he simply overcooked. The camera soon panned to Mings who couldn’t believe Digne’s unforced error. However it was Digne’s team of Mings, Philippe Coutinho and Danny Ings who rallied after that, winning the next three points against Watkins, Marvelous Nakamba, Douglas Luiz and Matty Cash, to which Mings pointed out: “Cheers, lads!”

The Villa camera continued to pan to No.1 Emi Martinez and Villa and England women’s stopper Hannah Hampton. The pair have been working closely together this past week, with Martinez passing on his expertise to 21-year-old Hampton after