Dean Smith has shared that Wesley got ‘a round of applause’ from his Aston Villa teammates after he was named in their squad for West Brom’s visit on Sunday, as he told the club’s official Twitter account.
The day before Villa’s 2-2 draw with the Baggies, Smith shared that he named the squad on the training ground and told Wesley, who had missed over 400 days of competitive action, that he was in the side.
Given the length of time that Wesley had been out for, and that during a pandemic that made life more difficult for him, it’s understandable why there was such a reaction from his teammates.
But Smith shared that all shows the ‘togetherness’ this Villa team have with one another.
“It’s probably the most significant injury that I have ever seen,” said Smith. “So, it’s a strength of character for him to come back from that, especially during a pandemic where we haven’t been able to arrange as many games for him.
“So, he has had to work very hard on his own, at times. And that is just reward for him getting onto the pitch.
“I named the squad yesterday on the training pitch and said to Wesley ‘you are in it’ and he got a round of applause from all the players, which shows what it means, not only to him, but the lads and the togetherness we have.”
It helps Wesley’s cause that Villa are sitting comfortably in the Premier League table and he can be monitored whichever the club want.
It won’t be until next season that he gets his fitness and sharpness back because he needs a pre-season under his belt.
But during these coming weeks, he can build up his fitness and minutes as Villa aim to secure a top ten finish.
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