Aston Villa's Rory Wilson has had a fledgling career marked by two distinct chapters. The first is his incredible goal-scoring record, with 49 goals at youth level before moving to Aston Villa from Rangers as a 16-year-old in 2022. In the intervening period, Wilson scored 36 times in 53 appearances for Villa's under-18s and under-21s. His record was exceptional, especially at scholarship level, where he averaged a goal every 64 minutes in the 2023-24 campaign. The second chapter, however, has been marked by misfortune and impasses. Despite his promise, Wilson has yet to make a senior Villa appearance and has played just over 1200 minutes across two seasons. In February, he joined Sturm Graz on loan, but playing time proved scant. Sturm's sporting director, Michael Parensen, said they had followed Wilson's performances and admired his efforts in their push for a sixth league title. Wilson's loan to Sturm was finalised, with the club covering a large percentage of his salary on top of the £150,000 loan fee. The loan felt overdue, given Wilson's future had been regularly discussed for 18 months before he signed a new contract in April 2025. Wilson was entering his final 12 months, with Villa proposing a series of five-year contracts, all of which were dismissed. The 20-year-old's development was stunted due to the impasse. And now, Wilson is looking to break through at Aston Villa. But his journey has been complicated by work permit delays and concerns about first-team exposure. So, what's next for Rory Wilson? He will be looking to make an impact at Sturm Graz and eventually break into the Aston Villa first team. Wilson's agent had players at Sturm before, so he could tell Wilson about the club and the league. The loan to Sturm was a mix of data and agent, with Parensen saying they always scan the squads with video and data, checking the young players in Premier League 2. Wilson's future is uncertain, but one thing is clear - he has the talent and the determination to succeed. His record at youth level is a testament to his abilities, and he will be looking to make a name for himself in the football world.