Barry Bannan

An exciting young midfield player who developed in the academy at Aston Villa, signing his first professional contract in July 2008.

He went on to make his first-team debut as a substitute in a UEFA Cup game with Hamburg in December of the same year and also started in the same competition, away to CSKA Moscow.

Barry became a regular in the Villa first-team squad during 2011-12, although most of his appearances came from the bench. A highlight came when he scored his first-ever Barclays Premier League goal from the penalty spot in the 1-1 draw with Queen’s Park Rangers. He is a tenacious left-footed central midfielder, who has excellent skills and good vision.

He has been capped 11 times for Scotland, his most recent appearance coming against the United States in May 2012.