HUMBLE ADOMAH HEADING FOR AN AWARD

IF Albert Adomah keeps going at this rate, the Aston Villa winger must be in the running for Championship player of the year.

The Ghanaian’s opener in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Sunderland was his third goal in as many days and ninth of a prolific season.

He’s already Villa’s top scorer and, with 27 games to play, is on course to finish the campaign with 25 goals.

Even at the age of 30, how much would a midfielder with those figures fetch in today’s market? More than £10m, surely.

It is a remarkable turnaround for a player deemed surplus to requirements when Middlesbrough won promotion to the Premier League in 2016 and, despite notching ten assists for Villa last term, was shunned by Steve Bruce in August.

But for an injury to home-grown starlet Andre Green in September, Adomah might still be kicking his heels on the sidelines.

Now he is the first name on the team sheet, the new folk hero of the Holte End. And, as someone who’s spoken to Albert many times over the years, I can safely say few players are worthier of their adoration.

Humble and down-toearth, Adomah has never forgotten his roots on the caged courts of Shepherd’s Bush, begging a game with the binmen.

He never saw an academy, nor the destructive wealth a premature contract can bring. The result is a player with the freedom of a street footballer and the hunger and perspective of a man who’s known the real world.

Even after he’d played for Ghana in the 2014 World Cup, Adomah was happy to pick up the phone and chat about Brazil, all with the wideeyed wonder of someone who’d won life’s lottery.

After the parade of mercenaries and big-time Charlies who’ve disgraced Villa’s shirt in recent seasons, Adomah is bringing pride – and no little class – back to Villa Park.