Nathan Delfouneso Biography

Name :
Nathan Delfouneso

Nationality :
English

Date of Birth :
02/02/1991

Height :
6' 1" (186cm)

Weight :
12st 4lbs (78.0kg)

Squad Number :
14

Previous Clubs :
Burnley (loan),

Position :
Striker

Nathan Delfouneso is up for the challenge of pushing Villa's star strikers all the way in 2011-12, insisting: "This could be my big season."


The England U21 international says he is ready to take his game to the next level after signing a new three-year-contract to keep him at Villa until 2014.

Now the 20-year-old is determined to build on last season - in which he scored twice in four starts for the claret and blues - and prove himself as a fully fledged Barclays Premier League hotshot.

Delfouneso went on to make a further 13 appearances from the bench last term before joining Burnley on loan and then finishing the campaign with an England U21 call-up for the Euro 2011 finals.

The Birmingham-born forward knows he faces stiff competition in the Villa ranks with record signing Darren Bent and seasoned top-flight pair Gabby Agbonlahor and Emile Heskey vying to spearhead Alex McLeish's attack.

But he has vowed to do his utmost to earn a regular role in the team.

Delfouneso's initial impact at Villa was best illustrated by his earning of the Supporters and Players Young Player of the Year two seasons running.

After initially earning the honours three seasons ago, Delfouneso did the double after a terrific 2009-10 term, where he impressed for both the first team and the reserves.

He proved to be a lucky omen in the FA Cup, bagging goals in both the third round and fourth round victories, over Blackburn and Brighton respectively.

And, despite not starting a first team game, he still managed a goal - and what an important one it was.

With Villa chasing fourth spot in the Barclays Premier League, Martin O'Neill's men desperately needed a win over relegated Portsmouth.

Despite conceding early via a Michael Brown strike, Villa came storming back with Delfouneso bagging the winner with a neat finish following Emile Heskey's flick.

But anyone wanting an indication of Delfouneso's immense potential need look no further than an article which appeared in the French football magazine Onze three seasons ago. It compared Villa's young striker with Thierry Henry - and not just because they both happened to wear the number 14 shirt.

The feature referred to Delfouneso's style, speed and technique, making the point that he has so much in common with the world-class French star.