‘I left on good terms’ – Matt Targett has no regrets about Aston Villa exit
Aston Villa former defender Matt Targett has revealed that he has no ill feelings toward Steven Gerrard and the club after leaving the club in January.
The English left-back joined Premier League rivals Newcastle initially on loan in the January transfer window before the deal was made permanent in June 2022.
However, the former Southampton man has lifted the lid on how he feels regarding his Villa exit and affirms that there is no bad blood between him and his former manager.
As quoted by Chronicle Live, Targett said: “When I joined on loan he wished me good luck and we had honest chats during that January period.
“I wish him all the best and I left on good terms, I just wish him all the best for the future.”
“When you are at my age you don’t just settle to be on the bench and I’m not that type of player.
“It was right for me to move on, I enjoyed my time at Villa and open a new chapter in my career.”
No bad blood
The 26-year-old defender’s switch to St James’ Park came as a shock to many after joining the Villans in the 2016 summer transfer window after coming through the youth ranks at Southampton.
A 23-year-old Targett signed for the Villans in the summer of 2019, with then-manager Dean Smith claiming to have scouted the defender for a considerable amount of time before finally landing him. [Sky Sports]
The former Fulham full-back had just spent a season on loan at Craven Cottage before joining the Midlands clubs and went on to make 89 appearances for the club in his two-and-a-half-year stay at Villa Park.
Targett helped the club achieve promotion in the 2018/19 season and his efforts also helped the club narrowly avoid relegation the following season.
The January 2022 signing of former Everton left-back Lucas Digne severely affected his game time and left the former Scottish youth international with no choice but to leave the club.
He has since made 16 appearances for the Magpies as they made a storming run in the second half of last season, and look set for another exciting year this term.
In other Aston Villa news, the club are looking to accelerate their midfielder search after Carney Chukwuemeka’s exit.