Aston Villa Academy: Kaine Kesler-Hayden can play second fiddle to Matty Cash in 2023/24 season
Aston Villa loanee Kaine Kesler-Hayden continues to move from strength to strength at Huddersfield Town after following his first goal for the club with a man-of-the-match performance on Thursday 29 December.
After moving to the Terriers on loan in the summer, manager Mark Fotheringham has given the right-back some tough love, featuring in just nine minutes of the head-coaches first nine matches in charge.
Since then, the 20-year-old has been a man-possessed and played a part in six straight games, including back-to-back 90 minutes in consecutive wins.
Against Preston on Boxing Day, Kesler-Hayden struck the winner – his first goal for the club – as he popped up at the back post to get on the end of a Jack Rudoni cross and send the Terriers’ support into rapturous scenes.
The Englishman used this confidence to fuel an even brighter performance against Rotherham on Thursday night (29 December), which helped push the West Yorkshire club off the foot of the Championship table.
The defender covered every blade of grass down his right flank and capped off his man-of-the-match performance by assisting Jordan Rhodes’ second-half goal in the 2-0 win.
The Athletic previously reported Aston Villa might recall the youngster due to the inconsistent minutes he was picking up, but this stark turn of events could persuade Academy Development Manager Mile Jedinak to leave him at the Championship club.
Matty Cash and 37-year-old Ashley Young are the only two right-back options for Unai Emery at Villa Park, so many fans have called for reinforcements to be signed in the New Year.
However, the club might stall such plans to sign a new full-back and see how Kesler-Hayden continues to develop at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Fotheringham has clearly improved the youngster’s output in a short space of time, so it would be a foolish move to cut his loan spell short. Emery, however, will be keeping close tabs on the Birmingham-born star as a potential understudy for Cash in the 2023/24 season.
In other Aston Villa news, Philippe Coutinho should start in Jacob Ramsey’s injury absence against Tottenham.