Kaine Kesler Hayden is looking to impress Dean Smith and his coaching staff during pre-season.
Alongside a number of the club’s Academy prospects, the full-back has been training with Aston Villa's first-team squad since returning for the 2021/22 season.
The 18-year-old is hoping to use the opportunity to show what he can do as he continues to progress as a player.
He said: “It’s good to be back. I was getting ready for pre-season because I know it’s going to be a big one, trying to impress the gaffer.
“That’s the most important thing, impressing the gaffer and coming in to train with the first team. That’s what I want to do.
“Coming into pre-season we need to get our fitness back but it’s also about playing well, training hard and trying to impress them.”
Kesler Hayden enjoyed a fairytale end to last season when he captained Villa to an FA Youth Cup win at Villa Park.
And while the defender believes the experiences gained in that competition will prove valuable, he’s looking forward to what he can achieve this term.
“It was a proud moment and one I’ll never forget, but for now, it’s looking forward and concentrating on what I need to do to become a better player,” he said.
“It’s given us the experience of playing big games that have meaning to them. We had to get the result and we weren’t only trying to play well and impress the coaches.”
Watch the full interview with Kaine below…
