ASTON VILLA have handed a shock FA Cup bench call-up against Chelsea to an ex-Blues kid best known for being Declan Rice’s cousin.
And Finley Munroe would still be at Stamford Bridge – if club chiefs had taken the advice of club legend Ashley Cole.
RexFinley Munroe was named as a Villa sub at Chelsea in the fourth round[/caption]
GettyDeclan Rice is a huge family name for Finley Munroe to follow in the game[/caption]
Villa named the 18-year-old left-back as one of their nine subs for Friday night’s fourth-round tie at Chelsea.
The Birmingham Mail say the elegant defender is a cousin of Arsenal’s £105million England midfielder Rice.
Munroe was at Chelsea as a kid, only to be shown the exit door aged 16.
But it’s thought former Blues’ and Arsenal left-back Cole urged the club to KEEP the youngster.
Munroe has played five times for Villa’s under-23s this season.
The Birmingham Mail report that he was a hot prospect after Chelsea declined to retain him.
Leicester City and Nottingham Forest are said to have offered Munroe professional terms as other clubs hovered.
But it’s claimed Villa academy chief Mark Harrison talked the starlet into joining the Midlanders in 2021.
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Munroe watched on s Douglas Luiz had an early opener for Villa ruled out.