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Dundee United statement on Kerr deal

Dundee United have confirmed 17-year-old Kerr Smith has joined Villa for an undisclosed fee believed to be an initial £800,000 rising to £2m.

Here is their statement with some lovely words for the Scotland Under-19 defender:

Kerr joined the Brechin City Youths Academy aged just seven, initially playing as a striker after impressing Brian Grant, among others, with his goalscoring ability.

Although not keen on the idea, Kerr eventually returned to midfield and his talent began to develop at an exponential rate, apart from some issues with a growth spurt during his time with the U14s/ U15, thanks to hard work. of our coaches alongside Kerr’s dedication.

The defender signed his first professional contract in December 2020, months after impressing in a friendly against Sheffield United.

Kerr continued his success in 2021, making his first-team debut at Ibrox in February as he came on as a second-half substitute for Ian Harkes, before securing his first start against Kilmarnock towards the end of the season.

The Montrose-born Academy graduate’s first competitive appearance in 2021/22 came in the Dundee Derby, where he made history by becoming the youngest player to appear in the game as the Terrors won recorded a 1-0 win, aged just 16 years and nine months. and seven days.

The following week, Kerr played 90 minutes in the middle of the back four in our 1-1 draw at Celtic Park.

Those performances were rewarded with international recognition for the youngster who earned his first Scotland U19 call-up, as he opened his account with the national team with a clean sheet against Gibraltar in November.

Everyone at Dundee United would like to congratulate Kerr and wish him the best for the future, and we will follow his career with pride.

Kerr leaves as a shining example of the opportunity and development available to our young terrors.