At first there was the usual stuff: the wide smile, the guttural release, the punch of the air, teammates quickly on the scene to offer congratulations. But then the real celebration followed for the 17-year-old Brian Madjo. After scoring his first Aston Villa goal 45 minutes into an unforgettable debut, the teenager clasped his hands behind his back and then unlocked them with the kind of force he exhibited on the pitch. “No distractions, I’m free,” he posted on Instagram after finally being cleared to pull on a Villa shirt in a competitive game.
After confirmation that the court of arbitration for sport (Cas) had upheld Villa’s appeal to register the 6ft 4in striker, the Madjo movement gathered pace. John McGinn and Amadou Onana responded to the club sharing the news on social media by posting “#freemadjo”. After Madjo shone in defeat in Salzburg, McGinn alluded to the painful and protracted waiting game. “Brian has had a terrible year,” the Villa captain said. “A player born in England should be able to play in England. He has the potential to be an unbelievable striker and he showed that.”
