American teenager Indiana Vassilev has pushed his way up the depth chart at Aston Villa in recent weeks, and he reached a new peak on Saturday, making his English Premier League debut in Villa’s 1-1 draw with Brighton.
The 18-year-old Georgia native has worked his way into the playing rotation, having made recent appearances in the FA Cup and EFL Cup, but Saturday marked his first Premier League action and he helped spark the Aston Villa comeback, entering the match with the Villans training before a Jack Grealish equalizer just eight minutes after Vassilev entered the match.
A member of the U.S. Under-17 World Cup team in 2017, Vassilev joined Aston Villa in 2018, rising quickly up the youth ranks to play his way into the first team at the start of this year.
Age-eligible for the U.S. Under-20 national team, Vassilev has taken part in recent U.S. Under-23 national team setups, and could force his way into the conversation for the U.S. Olympic team if the Americans succeed in qualifying for the tournament.