Aston Villa have confirmed that young forward, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy has left the club to join League One side, Tranmere Rovers. 

The 20-year-old spent last season on loan with Cambridge United, where he scored twice in 16 appearances as they finished 21st in the League Two table.

Tranmere won promotion to League One last season with a win over Newport County in the League Two play-off final last season and will be hoping to establish themselves in the third tier of English football.

Aston Villa will be preparing for life in the Premier League next term, as they won promotion back into the top-flight with a narrow win over Derby County at Wembley.

Dean Smith has wasted no time in adding to his squad ahead of the new season, which has pushed Hepburn-Murphy further down the pecking order at Villa Park.

But the youngster will be hoping that a positive loan spell with Tranmere can provide Smith with some thinking to do in the future.

He could be in line to make his debut for the newly-promoted side when they take on Rochdale in their opening game of the season on Saturday.

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The Verdict:

This is the best move for both parties involved.

Hepburn-Murphy isn't going to be getting anywhere near the Aston Villa first-team in the Premier League this season, so it's a smart move to loan him out for the upcoming league campaign.

A successful loan spell for him could see him challenging for a first-team spot for future seasons.