Arjan Raikhy

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Arjan Raikhy

Player #964 for Aston Villa, Arjan Raikhy has played as a midfielder for the club since the 2020-21 season.

Arjan was born on 20 October 2002 in Telford, Shropshire.

Raikhy was promoted to Sean Verity’s Under 18 Premier League squad and proved himself to be a burgeoning goalscoring midfielder having already in the 2020-21 league season hit an audacious goal against Chelsea, taking the ball 40 yards from goal before sending a looping half volley past the ‘keeper.

His impressive performances saw Mark Delaney promote Raikhy to the first team squad before giving him his first team debut in the 2020-21 season aged 18 in the 1-4 FA Cup defeat to Liverpool on Friday, 8 January 2021.

Raikhy was part of the youngest ever team to ever take the field for Villa in a professional game - aged 18.8 years on average - after the first team squad was forced into isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic which had seen a raft of players and staff testing positive for the virus in the week preceding the game.

Raikhy was also one of 16 debutants in the game - the most in a single game in Villa’s history and was also part of the starting XI made up of 11 debutants, the first time this had happened since Villa’s first professional fixture - also in the FA Cup - on Saturday, 13 December 1879 against Stafford Road. Raikhy made his debut appearance under caretaker manager Mark Delaney following Dean Smith having to join the first team in isolation.

The Birmingham Mail described Raikhy’s debut thus:

“Raikhy was excellent. Pinched possession off Liverpool on numerous occasions to start attacks and worked tirelessly for the team. A proper No8 this kid is who’s still playing for Villa’s under-18s. A proud night for him and his family, that’s for sure. The teenager’s got a great future in the game.”

Raikhy joins Villa left back Neil Taylor as one of the few British Asians in professional football. Raikhy, a Punjabi who excels at the pressing game, is passionately supported by the characterful Punjabi Villains who have brought so much to the atmosphere of the club in recent years and continues a proud tradition for Villa in breaking cultural boundaries.