VIlla sign American defender

With Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner's purchase of Aston Villa, the EPL club could be a prime destination for many talented young Americans.

Eighteen-year-old defender Eric Lichaj will join Villa's academy, and attempt to work his way into the reserve squad. Although he trained with the U.S. under-20s prior to the World Cup, Lichaj was not named to the roster that competed in Canada. He was, however, a prominent member of the U.S. U-17s, and was a member of the prestigious Chicago Magic youth club that has produced many MLS stars (such as Ricardo Clark and Ned Grabavoy). He also spent a single year at the University of North Carolina, where he registered no statistics according to their web site.