Aston Villa have seen a dramatic upturn in fortunes since experienced manager Steve Bruce took over at B6 and started clearing up Roberto di Matteo's mess.

Villa fans must have lost hope after hapless managers Tim Sherwood, Remi Garde and Roberto di Matteo all failed to inspire anything out of a talented squad.

Roberto di Matteo left a disheartened and downbeat squad for Steve Bruce to inherit but the former Hull manager has guided them up the table to 11th place after 4 wins and 3 draws in his first 7 matches in charge.

The Villains look a completely different outfit and now many pundits are backing them to mount a late promotion challenge.

One area that Aston Villa prides itself on is its fine youth academy, nurturing players and introducing them to the first team, such as Gary Gardner and Jack Grealish recently.

Here are three of the next big attacking stars for Aston Villa who are bound to be household names in the near future.

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy

Aston Villa's young star Rushian Hepburn-Murphy faces a big decision as his contract expires in the summer and he is subject to keen interest from Rangers.

The England under-18 striker is held as one of the best young players that Aston Villa have and he has already been handed some first team opportunities.

Bruce is desperate to tie down the 18-year-old to a new deal because he knows how much potential this young lad has.

Harry McKirdy

Another young striker who is showing good promise for the future is Harry McKirdy.

The 19-year-old is on loan at League Two Stevenage until January and has already scored twice in 9 games since joining.

McKirdy is an energetic workhorse of a forward and fans will appreciate his commitment to the cause.

Andre Green

Andre Green is probably the most exciting youngster Aston Villa have on their books.

The England youth international already has seven games for the Villains under his belt, albeit all from the bench, and Villa fans are calling for him to play more.

Big things are tipped for the 18-year-old, who turned down a number of offers from the Premier League to sign a new deal at Villa Park this summer.

 

Aston Villa fans - how good are these 3? Can they break into the first team soon? Let us know in the comments below...