In a recent interview with Stadium Astro (transcripted by HITC), former Premier League midfielder Stiliyan Petrov was full of praise for Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings. Petrov said, “Since the start of the season, he (Mings) has showed great development, maturity. He leads from the back, he is the one who is the voice in the team. He always encourages others to do their jobs.”
Mings’ Brilliant Season At Villa Park So Far
It has been a campaign full of joy for the English defensive ace as he has been a rock at the heart of Dean Smith’s defence over the past few months. Mings has participated in 21 matches for the Villans this term, finding the back of the net twice while securing one assist on all fronts.
More importantly, the 27-year-old has given a good account of himself on the defensive end of the field based on his average of 0.6 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 4.6 clearances per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He has even been good when distributing the ball out from defence after completing 77.2% of his attempted passes in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
Mings has been playing some of the best football of his career during this campaign. Therefore, he is worthy of Petrov’s high praise as he has already established himself as one of the first names in Smith’s teamsheet this season.
What Are The English Centre-Back’s Best Attributes?
Mings has decent pace in his locker that allows him to get back and defend when the opposition is trying to break quickly on the counter. He can sense the danger quite early and is not shy of putting his foot through the ball to clear his lines when required.
Standing at 1.95m, the four-time England international can use his strong frame to outmuscle the opposition and win some important headers for his team. He is also good on the ball and is always willing to play his way out from the back.
Does Mings Have A Bright Future At Villa Park?
At 27, the Bath-born sensation is playing at his prime and could perform even better as long as he is getting regular starts under the watchful eyes of Dean Smith. The way things have been going for him of late, Mings seems to be a player the Villans manager can build a team around in the coming years. He has been a part of a Villa defence that has conceded just 24 goals in 21 league matches this season. All in all, it seems like the Three Lions star has a very bright future at the West Midlands club and could potentially help them secure European football at the end of this campaign.
