Talented skryne youngster signs for aston villa

James Finnerty from Skryne will open up another chapter in his soccer career when he joins English Premier League side Aston Villa in the new year.
The 15 year-old transition student year student at St Patrick’s Classical School, Navan recently signed a three-year deal with the Villa Park outfit.
However, because he is not 16 until early in the new year he won’t be joining the English club until next July.
Finnerty, who is a centre-half, played at under-age level with Skryne/Tara and Ratoath before signing for Dublin nursery club Belvedere FC. He was invited over to Aston Villa on  a number of times for trials before they offered him a contract.

The Skryne youngster has yet to met assistant manager Roy Keane and manager Paul Lambert but he has come across a number of first team players. As well as playing at club level with Belvedere, James is also part of the Republic of Ireland u-16 squad. 
James is a son of Padraig Finnerty who played senior football for Meath and was part of the team that won the Centenary Cup in 1984. 
His mother, Sheila McCormack from Killeen, is a relative of the famous Cavan footballer Phil ‘The Gunner’ Brady who helped the Breffni County win the All-Ireland at the Polo Grounds, New York in 1947.  
Part of James Finnerty’s contract with Aston Villa includes a study period each day as part of his preparations for the A-Level exams in England.