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Boyhood Aston Villa fan Jack Grealish is the latest potential homegrown hero to carry the hopes of the claret and blue faithful after rolling off the Bodymoor Heath production line.

Here are five reasons why the 18-year-old winger is ready for first team duty at Villa this season, even if it as a bit part impact player rather than a regular starter.

1 By order of the management

Grealish was the only member of the latest Bodymoor Heath batch to have been involved throughout pre-season after impressing Paul Lambert and Roy Keane with his progress.

Upon Keane’s arrival, the new assistant boss took an early stroll down to the academy pitches and insisted straight away that Grealish should be training with the seniors (No doubt with an eye on Grealish's Irish national team potential, too).

While Callum Robinson, now departed Samir Carruthers and Co were left behind when Villa went on tour to Texas and played Groningen in Holland, Grealish was asked to pack his passport for both trips and got some more match action under his belt.

He was an unused substitute for the first friendly of the summer at Mansfield, but since then he has played some part in all of the subsequent six practice matches, scoring as a substitute in the defeat at Chesterfield and shining in a cameo in Saturday’s goalless draw with Parma at Villa Park.

When Lambert gave Grealish his competitive debut as a late substitute in the 4-0 defeat at Champions elect Manchester City in May, the manager suggested he had done so only because of a lack of options in his squad.

Lambert has now reached the conclusion that Grealish deserves his place in the first team group on merit, giving him the No.40 squad number.

Grealish is entering the final year of his contract and Villa are set to open talks about a new deal soon.

2 Wide boy

Villa have been crying out for width in recent seasons.

Now that Marc Albrighton has gone this is the perfect time for another local lad to audition for a wide role.

Much depends on which system Lambert prefers to use in an attempt to rid the claret and blues of a narrowness which has made them too easy to nullify, particularly at home. If Lambert opts for a wing-back system then Grealish’s opportunities could be limited, with the likes of Alan Hutton, Leandro Bacuna and Kieran Richardson expected to occupy those positions.

But if he plays with orthodox wingers, and abandons using central strikers Gabby Agbonlahor and Andi Weimann in wide areas, then Grealish has a chance, even if he is restricted to brief cameos. With transfer flop Aleksandar Tonev winging his way to Celtic on loan, Richardson and Charles N’Zogbia are the only natural widemen in the squad, so Grealish must fancy his chances of some game-time, most likely coming off the bench. Villa’s play is often too laboured and too predictable. By unleashing the unknown quantity that is Grealish, Lambert has scope to take opponents by surprise and excite the Villa fans.

3 ‘Prepared’

Grealish is claret and blue through and through – so much so that talk of loan interest in him from Blues was rejected straight away by his Villa-supporting family, who also now have a soft spot for Notts County, too.

He has been at Villa since the age of six and the excitement and sense of privilege of playing for his boyhood club is plain to see. Many years back when the academy kids were given balls from first team training to keep, a wide-eyed Grealish returned home to tell his folks ‘Gabby Agbonlahor has actually kicked this!’

No longer is he star-struck.

He knows, in a confident rather than arrogant way, that he belongs in the company of the first teamers.

But the pride of wearing claret and blue continues to be a powerful motivational force, especially now he is on the brink of realising his lifelong ambitions.

4 The school of hard Notts

Grealish has grown up a lot during the past 12 months. Spending a season on loan at Notts County and helping the Magpies stave off the threat of relegation from League One has been a real coming of age for the teenager.

He has matured physically and mentally and has become much more disciplined with his play.

Grealish still boasts the instinctive talent which makes him such an entertainer, but he has also developed into a team player, willing to sacrifice his individual flair for the collective good.

Mention the name ‘Grealish’ within earshot of Meadow Lane and you will hear nothing but positive reports of a special young talent, who earned instant popularity at County with craft and graft amidst the muck and nettles of the lower leagues.

County and a clutch of other Championship and League One clubs have enquired about taking him on loan, but Grealish is determined to make his mark at his parent club in 2014-15.

5 Claret and blue clamour

At a time when positives are few are far between in B6, the promise of ‘one of our own’ breaking through is a real source of encouragement for the claret and blue faithful.

Villa Park has waited a long time to see Grealish in a senior capacity. Regular viewers of the youth teams and under-21s development squad will have witnessed him assuredly gliding across the famous turf on numerous occasions.

But Saturday’s final friendly against Parma was his home debut for the first team and even though he only had a fleeting run out as a substitute, he did enough in those 26 minutes to add to the sense of excitement.

It had been a long time coming.

When Alex McLeish put him on the bench for his initial taste of senior duty as a 16-year-old on March 31 2012 for the 4-2 home defeat to Chelsea, there were concerns that, although he would benefit from the experience, it might be too much too soon for him. That’s no longer the case. For all the reasons outlined above, Grealish is now ready.