Kortney Hause: I’m ready to step up to the plate at Aston Villa

The former Wolves defender, who joined the claret and blues in a loan deal in January before completing a £3million switch across the West Midlands last month, said he is thrilled to have the opportunity to play in the Premier League having helped Villa to promotion via the play-offs in May.

The 23-year-old said: "You hear it all the time that the Premier League is the best league in the world and for me it is.

“It’s really, really competitive and every game is massive. The pressure is good – that’s what every player dreams of. Now I’ve got an opportunity to play in the Premier League, I’m really really happy and excited and I can’t wait to get started and show people what I’m made of.”

He added: “People say 23 is still young, but I feel I’m ready now to step up to the plate. I don’t feel as though I’m a young boy any more.

“I can’t wait for pre-season, get my head down, focus and let my football do the talking. There’s much more to come.”

He added: “There’s a lot of ability in the squad, a lot of hunger, people want to do well especially in the biggest league in the world so I feel if we can stay focused, respect the other teams in the league but not fear them, we can achieve something good.

“It’s crazy, every night I think about the first game of the season, the first game at Villa Park in the Premier League with everyone watching around the world – it’s what you dream about, I just cant wait to get started.”

Hause, who spent five years at Molineux after joining from Wycombe as a teenager, said: “I came here in January, I was confident the club could get promoted or I wouldn’t have come here.

“I had aspirations myself and it’s easy for everyone to say ‘We’re going to get promoted’ but it’s easier said than done.”

Hause came on as a late substitute in Villa’s play-off final victory over Derby at Wembley and said the celebrations will live long in the memory.

“The celebrations were crazy,” he recalled.

“Ever since I’ve come to the club, the Villa fans have really shown me how passionate they are about their club and to get promoted and do that at Wembley was such a great day. The fans in the hotel at the after-party; and there were hundreds and hundreds outside the hotel all singing, it was good to see, good to see the passion of the fans they fully deserve it.”

Hause now aims to progress his career after being frozen out at Wolves under Nuno Espirito Santo.

“Now I’ve got an opportunity to play in the Premier League I’m really, really happy and excited and I can’t wait to get started and show people what I’m made of,” he added.

“(The aim is to give) it my all, give it 100 per cent. I don’t really set any targets; just to keep my standards high, every game and in training."