Aston Villa are reportedly on red alert as Tom Heaton rejects a contract extention at Premier League rivals Burnley.
Midway through last season, Burnley were staring down the barrel of relegation. Until, of course, Tom Heaton came in from the cold.
The Clarets had lost nine of their previous 11 Premier League fixtures, conceding four against West Ham, five against Everton and five against Manchester City. But Heaton changed their fortunes in a heartbeat when he finally ousted Joe Hart at the turn of the year.
Sean Dyche’s side quickly sped away from the bottom three with the 33-year-old club legend inspiring Burnley to an eight-game unbeaten run.
Clearly, his remarkable reflexes remained intact despite some recent injury worries and his leadership, on and off the pitch, was as crucial as ever.
So no wonder the Aston Villa fans are queuing up to welcome Heaton at Villa Park.
According to The Mirror (20 June, page 57), a Villa side who are crying out for a reliable shot stopper have been put on red alert as Heaton decides against extending a Burnley contract which is due to expire in the summer of 2020.
Dean Smith’s prayers might just have been answered.
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