Aston Villa boss Dean Smith feels they have something special on their hands in Keinan Davis.

Smith has no doubts about Davis' talents and says the main challenge is keeping him fit - praising his performance in the game and insisting none of the Villa players were surprised to see his name in the line-up.

"He is a young lad still," said the Villa boss. "That was his first Premier League start but he has deserved it through what he has done in training and the practice matches.

"The one thing we are looking to do - and you have to with someone the way Keinan is built - is manage him effectively. He has learned to manage his body now and we are helping manage his workload.

"I thought it was a really good start from him, the only thing missing was the goal.

"The players here weren't surprised he got the nod to start the game. I think many others away from the training ground might have been surprised but he certainly has a lot of potential."