Ajani_Burchall
Ajani Burchall
Bermudian association football player
Ajani Alexander Edward Burchall (born 5 November 2004) is Bermudian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League team Aston Villa. He is a product of the North Village Rams youth team in Hamilton, Bermuda, and was signed by AFC Bournemouth at the age of eleven. He became Bournemouth's third youngest player of all time when he appeared for their senior side as a late substitute in December 2020, he transferred to Aston Villa six months later, joining their academy. He has played internationally at under-15 level for the Bermuda.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ajani Alexander Edward Burchall[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2004-11-05) 5 November 2004 (age 19)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Hamilton, Bermuda | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Aston Villa | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2016 | North Village Rams | ||
| 2016–2020 | AFC Bournemouth | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | AFC Bournemouth | 1 | (0) |
| 2021– | Aston Villa | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2018–2019 | Bermuda U15 | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:06, 9 July 2021 (UTC) | |||
AFC Bournemouth
Burchall was born in Bermuda and joined AFC Bournemouth in 2016 from the youth side of North Village Rams, based near Hamilton, Bermuda.[3] In March 2019, at the age of 14, he signed a pre-scholarship agreement with the club.[4] On 12 December 2020, he made his professional debut in the Championship, coming on as a late substitute in a 5–0 win over Huddersfield Town.[5] The appearance made him Bournemouth's third youngest player of all time.[6]
Aston Villa
On 9 July 2021, Burchall joined Premier League club Aston Villa for an undisclosed transfer fee.[7] In October 2021, after a positive start for Villa in the U18 Premier League in which he scored three goals, and provided three assists in his first four games, Burchall was named by The Guardian as one of the top young prospects in English football.[8] On 10 November 2021, Burchall was given his first full professional contract by Aston Villa.[9]
In August 2022, Burchall suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a training session - which was expected to rule him out for the whole season.[10]
Burchall made his return to football on 15 December 2023, after more than a year sidelined, in a 1–1 draw against Fulham U21 in the Premier League 2.[11]
Burchall has represented Bermuda at under-15 level, playing for them in the 2019 CONCACAF Boys' Under-15 Championship.[12]
Burchall grew up in the Paget Parish of Bermuda.[13] He attended Bournemouth Collegiate School.[3]
- As of match played 12 December 2020[14]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| AFC Bournemouth | 2020–21 | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
- "2021/22 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- "AJANI BURCHALL". AFC Bournemouth. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Cook only met teenager Burchall a few hours before his debut". Bournemouth Daily Echo. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Teen pair on pathway to turn professional". royalgazette.com. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "AFC Bournemouth 5-0 Huddersfield Town". BBC. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Tindall: Burchall debut is a 'reward for the academy'". Bournemouth Daily Echo. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Burchall moves to Aston Villa". AFCB. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- Doyle, Paul (6 October 2021). "Next Generation 2021: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- "Ajani Burchall signs professional contract". Aston Villa Football Club. 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- Thompson, Colin (25 August 2022). "Ajani Burchall ruled out for the season through injury". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- "U21s: Aston Villa 1-1 Fulham". Aston Villa Football Club. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- "Under-15 squad selected for Concacaf". royalgazette.com. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Island's talented youth celebrated at awards". royalgazette.com. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- Ajani Burchall at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- Ajani Burchall at Soccerway