Tom Heaton has wished Matt Targett ‘all the best’ on Instagram after he left Aston Villa to join Newcastle on transfer deadline day.
To the surprise of many Villa supporters, Targett was allowed to leave St James’ Park on a loan deal until the end of the season.
After the move was confirmed, Targett posted on his Instagram that he is ‘so proud’ to have signed for the relegation-threatened side.
A number of Targett’s current and former players reacted to his move, including the likes of Heaton, Tyrone Mings, Morgan Sanson and Jacob Ramsey.
Lucas Digne’s arrival from Everton in January pushed Targett out of the first-team picture at Villa Park.
Previously, he was a regular under Dean Smith, but as soon as Steven Gerrard snapped Digne up from Everton, Targett was then warming the bench.
On one hand, Villa fans will see it as the player just simply wanting to play after being pushed out of the XI.
But, on the other hand, some will ask why he didn’t try to fight to win his place back from Digne because that is what creates competition within the team and it’s not like the France international’s place was cemented.
Either way, it does now mean that Ashley Young and Kortney Hause are the players who will deputise or fill in for Digne if he can’t play.
Young has already played at left-back this season, and in truth, every time he has been handed minutes, he has showcased his quality and had an impact.
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