One of the more intriguing things about this season has been the apparent ability of Richard Money to bring out the best in various waifs and strays. He plucked Lee Holmes out of a trough at Derby, where he was failing to make any real impression on the first team squad, despite their appalling season, and, notably, seems to have got Michael Ricketts playing to something like his potential.

The news, therefore, at the weekend that former Villa youngster Stefan Moore has joined the club on trial is, hopefully, another such signing.

Moore has had a disastrous time since leaving the Villa. He broke into the side some five years ago, as a youngster, with this kind of talk about him, from Ian Taylor:-

Stefan is “the most naturally gifted finisher I’ve seen come through the ranks at Villa.”

Of the England Under-19 international, he said: “If Stefan had scored at Old Trafford he would now be the talk of the town the way Rooney is at the moment.

He is a confident, sensible lad. Every one is talking about Rooney at the moment. But last season he didn’t get a sniff in the FA Youth Cup which Villa won and Stefan scored twice”.

Taylor continued: “Of all the young strikers who have come through the ranks over the years I think that Stefan is the most naturally gifted finisher. Once you get him in the area he can be devastating.

He is a great finisher, he is very calm in the area and he is a nice lad, very sensible, very intelligent.

Stefan has a long way to go still and it is always unwise to build up a player too much. But at this moment in time he is showing a great deal of potential.”

He failed to break into the Villa team and, after some not very distinguished loan spells in terms of goals scored, went to QPR in 2005, where he managed only 19 League starts, plus 20 as sub and three goals.

Moore reminds me a lot of another Villa youngster who left the club and looked as if he had lost his way until he turned up here – Darren Byfield. Let’s hope he’s as successful.