SUPER VILLAN
Courts backs former United kid to be a top star in Premier League after switch
PROUD Tam Courts is in no doubt Aston Villa new boy Kerr Smith will go on to become a Premier League star.
The talented 17-year-old completed his dream potential £2million move from Dundee United to the Midlands side yesterday.
Steven Gerrard sees Smith as one for the future but his former United boss has coached him from an early age and is in no doubt he has all the attributes to go to the very top.
Smith will initially go in and train with Villa’s development squad.
Courts, who initially coached the defender in the United academy, stated: “Kerr has been on a really steep journey, especially over the last couple of years.
“He has really blossomed but there is still a lot of growth and development to come. We really do think he can be a top player in the future at the highest level and that can be in the Premier League.
“This move is exciting on a number of different fronts. Kerr is a young player who has been at the club since he was nine.
“He has come all the way through the academy system and was a very early debutant. He also played in some really big and significant games for the club in a short space of time.
“He is a boy with all the potential in the world. It is great that United have been able to do business with an
English Premier League club and it is a huge opportunity for Kerr.”
“We’re just really proud of the player and everything the club has done for him and what he’s achieved in such a short space of time.”
Courts is now hoping to use some of the incoming funds to strengthen his squad. He’s already signed Tony Watt up on a pre contract for the summer.
United will now open talks over a six-figure deal to bring in the Premier League’s top scorer from Motherwell in this window. and are looking to do bring in some other new faces.
Courts confessed: “There are regular discussions in the background. There are multiple scenarios and I feel comfortable the coaching staff are being supported by the sporting director and the recruitment team.
“There’s a lot of regular dialogue that’s happening and hopefully in a couple of days we will start to see a bit of a breakthrough.
“I do feel we are making good traction and hopefully there is something to report, not necessarily on Watt but a couple of others.
“We’ve got to be patient and trust the process and try and get the deal done.”
Courts knows Watt is guaranteed to move north in the summer and he is excited by that prospect.
He said: “When we were looking at what we needed in terms of bolstering our attack for the summer, Tony is a guy who has had a number of different clubs but he’s been successful.
”He’s now at a stage of life where he knows who he is as a player and what he wants out of his profession. He’s in a rich scoring form.
“The key thing is that he complements what’s in the building and enhances what we want to do. We’re excited to have him in the summer.”
United also have Kevin McDonald training with them and Courts admitted it could lead to something more permanent. The ex-Fulham midfielder has battled bravely back from a kidney transplant last year.
Courts said: “It’d be remiss for us to not have a look.”