Aston Villa want Kaine Kesler Hayden to stay and compete with Matty Cash – report
Steven Gerrard is keen to see Kaine Kesler Hayden stay at Aston Villa for the 2022-23 season and compete for a place in the team, according to Ashley Preece.
The 19-year-old right-back was a revelation out on loan last season having enjoyed a good spell in League Two with Swindon Town for the first half of the season before moving up to League One with Milton Keynes Dons.
He dealt with the jump up to senior football admirably in his first season on loan away from Villa Park after previously captaining the FA Youth Cup winning Under-18s side of 2021.
During an Aston Villa question and answer session on Birmingham Live, Preece was asked whether Kesler Hayden would be getting another loan away from the club or staying to compete in the Premier League.
“As things stand, he’ll be staying to compete with (Matty) Cash,” Preece replied after the teenager impressed Gerrard with his performances during their pre-season tour of Australia.
One more loan
Kesler Hayden certainly looked the part during pre-season and especially against Manchester United as the Villans came from 2-0 down to earn a late draw in Perth.
But Cash is unquestionably Gerrard’s first choice at right-back and his fitness since he joined the club from Nottingham Forest has been exemplary for the most part so there won’t be many worries from the physio’s room.
You would therefore assume that the Polish international is going to play the vast majority of the games in the Premier League, especially which leaves only the odd Carabao Cup fixture for Kesler Hayden to play.
At 19 years of age, he could do with playing every single week if possible and he could easily do that for MK Dons again in League One or even in the Championship if the interest is there.
Gerrard should reevaluate his stance on the teenager’s future unless he is planning on him playing ahead of Cash but that would seem to be a very big risk to take after only one season of senior football.
In other Aston Villa news, Cash’s own performance against Erik Ten Hag’s Red Devils perfectly highlighted the good and the bad he has to offer.