ISAAC’S JOY AS LONG BLUES INJURY HELL COMES TO AN END Kortney inspired for a new Premier challenge
KORTNEY Hause hopes to go down as kingmaker rather than curse for his new club. Hause ignored interest from Championship rivals West Bromwich Albion to sign for Aston Villa on loan from Wolves until the end of the season.
And the 23-year-old defender believes Dean Smith’s Villa have the potential to reach for the stars.
“I don’t want to jinx anything, but I’m confident we can push on for the rest of the season and get promotion,” he said.
“I’m very excited to be joining a big club, a massive club like Aston Villa.
“The manager, the staff and the players have all made me feel welcome. I’m just very excited to be here, I can’t wait to get going.
”It’s a very attractive training ground. I’ve been to the stadium as well, and it’s unbelievable. There’s a lot of history at the club, so I just want to get going here.
“In terms of the staff and the players, everyone has been great and very welcoming, which is always good.”
Hause will go straight into the squad for Villa’s Championship match at struggling Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
Villa are tenth in the table after drawing their last two league fixtures, but a win over a Wigan side who have lost six of their last seven in all competitions could take Smith’s side to within just two points of the top six.
Hause’s Wolves were in a very different situation in the Championship a year ago.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s all-conquering team had established a healthy lead at the top of the table at this stage of the campaign.
And while Hause didn’t feature all that much, he hopes his experience of being “in and around” the team will stand Villa in good stead.
“I’m sure I can pass on a few things to the boys, though to be fair there’s a lot of experience here as well,” he said.
“If I can add to that then great and that’s what I’ll be looking to do.”
Hause was highly-rated at Molineux, but barely figured under Nuno because of the form of firstchoice centre-backs Willy Boly, Conor Coady and Ryan Bennett.
The former England Under-21 international only played six games after the Portuguese coach joined in May 2017.
So he’s responded to the love shown by Smith.
“I got a very, very good feel from the manager,” Hause said. “I got a good vibe from him. He just said to come in and be myself, come and play and help me improve as a player.
“He wants me to keep growing as a player. Once I start training and playing with the boys every day, I can help the team.
“He’s been very supportive. It feels as though he trusts me, which is a good feeling at the moment for myself.”
Hause has been signed to bolster a porous backline that has leaked 40 goals – more than any other top-half team in the Championship. And the new boy, who spent three months in Birmingham City’s youth set-up after he was released by West Ham United as a teenager, has backed himself to remedy Villa’s defensive deficiencies.
“I believe I’m a good player, I feel as though I’ve got some good defensive qualities and I’m just hungry to play!” he said.
“I just want to play and to the best of my ability. I believe if I do that then I will help the team, for sure.”