A bright spark on and off the pitch

FINN Azaz has plenty of laudable qualities. A sturdy 6ft 1ins frame. Sound technique. A penchant for long-range screamers. But it’s upstairs where he really excels.

-  Chris Dunlavy

As a teenager, he emerged from King Edward’s School in Birmingham with nine A* grades at GCSE, despite training in West Brom’s academy five times a week.

As a burgeoning midfield schemer, he wowed a succession of coaches, both in his youth team days at the Hawthorns and later at loan clubs in the EFL.

“Finn is probably the most intelligent footballer, away from football, I have ever met and his game knowledge is outstanding,” said current Stoke boss Steven Schumacher, his manager for the majority of an 18-month loan spell at Plymouth.

A previous loan at Newport drew similar praise from then-Exiles boss James Rowberry. “Everybody can see his technical quality,” said the former Cardiff coach. “But it’s his brain that will get him to the top.

“He is very coachable and very studious with a lot of off-field work on analysis and with his development plans. Eventually he will be Premier League quality - I am sure he will get to that point.”

In name, at least, he already has. Having swapped West Brom for Aston Villa in 2021, Azaz excelled on loan at Newport, winning the League Two young player of the year award and a place in the divisional team of the season.