Eric Lichaj Loaned To Leeds United: What It Means For USMNT Defender

The move to Leeds is hard not to see as a demotion, though, and it probably is. If Lichaj could break back into Houllier’s good graces, it would be preferable from almost all angles that he remain with Villa. Problem is, there’s precious little reason to believe that was going to happen. The 22-year-old has not seen a minute of field time with the senior team since a disastrous performance against Machester City on Dec. 28. This move is just the latest sign that Houllier was not ready to trust his right back position to Lichaj anytime soon.

This move makes a lot of sense for all involved parties; Leeds get a player that can help them push for promotion to the Premier League, Lichaj gets first-team football in a competitive environment and Aston Villa ensure that one of their better prospects gets the opportunity to continue to develop his game. Fans of the USMNT should be plenty pleased as well; Lichaj can be an important player for the squad going forward, but he’s not going to improve or catch the eye of Bob Bradley as the third-choice right back of a lower-table Premier League team. The Championship is clearly a step down, but Leeds are legitimate contenders for promotion and that level of competition is a positive thing for any young player to experience. It also gives Villa a better chance to take stock of where his game is than his appearances for the reserves; was his dip in form related to a hit to his confidence, or were his better performances above what can be expected from his current level of ability? These are important questions that need to be answered and the sooner the better, both for Villa and for Lichaj.

If Aston Villa have done one thing consistently well over the past few years it’s develop young talent. Martin O’Neill might be gone but those responsible for the youth system are still in place and where it comes to the development of players like Lichaj, they still hold a fair amount of sway. If he is able to shine with Leeds, there’s good chance he can work his way back into the Villa rotation at the start of next season. If his time there is less than successful, that gives Villa the chance to work a loan (or, in a less likely scenario, a permanent move) at the beginning of next season to ensure he has an opportunity to secure a regular place from the get-go. No matter what the case this has to be seen as a positive in terms of his development both now and in the future.