Aston Villa have confirmed that Kaine Kesler-Hayden has joined Plymouth Argyle on a season-long loan deal.
The 20-year-old was both captain and a key figure in our FA Youth Cup success in 2021, and the long-term hope is that he will eventually make a breakthrough at senior level.
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Kesler-Hayden has previously enjoyed loan stints with Swindon Town, MK Dons and Huddersfield Town as he continues to gain experience and develop his game, and now as per the club’s statement, he will join Plymouth on loan for the upcoming campaign and feature in the Championship again.
It had been hoped that he might at least get this summer and pre-season to try and impress Unai Emery into keeping him in his squad for the new season, as with Ashley Young leaving the club on the expiration of his contract and with a hectic schedule potentially ahead across multiple competitions, we do need competition and depth at right-back behind Matty Cash.
However, Emery and the club evidently feel as though the talented youngster will benefit from regular playing time at this stage of his career, and so that also perhaps hints at the likelihood of a new signing in that department to fill the void left behind by Young and ensure we have enough cover.
For Kesler-Hayden, it will be another opportunity to impress not only Emery to earn a future at Villa, but if that chance doesn’t come, it’s crucial that he does well for the sake of his own career moving forward if he has to consider his options further down the line.
His current contract with us runs until June 2026 and so there is plenty of time to develop further and eventually make his mark in the Villa first-team, but for now, his focus will be on Plymouth and continuing to improve and impress those watching on.