Tyrone Mings: I made the right call joining Aston Villa
Tyrone Mings is convinced he made the right choice in joining Villa as they prepare for the final stage of their play-off push.
The 26-year-old Bournemouth defender was targeted by a number of clubs, including Albion and Nottingham Forest, during the January transfer window before eventually signing a loan deal at Villa Park until the end of the season.
Mings has not missed a minute of the last nine Championship games.
He will equal his number of league starts during three-and-a-half years injury-hit with the Cherries, should he be named in the starting XI for Saturday’s game with Blackburn.
Villa have won their last four games to charge back up to sixth in the table, with eight games remaining.
Mings has been part of a defence which has kept three clean sheets during the winning run and been praised by boss Dean Smith for his leadership, both on and off the field.
He told The Telegraph: “This loan is massive for me. I don’t think I could underestimate how big it is and how big a decision it was to choose where to go because everything had to click immediately.
“The aim is obviously to make the play-offs, but coming here and playing games, and feeling wanted was so important.
“Personally, it was a big choice and I 100 per cent believe I made the right one.”
Mings made his debut in Villa's 0-0 draw at Reading early last month, a game overshadowed by a gruesome facial injury suffered by Royals striker Nelson Oliveira when the Villa defender's boot landed on his face.
It led to the accusation Mings had deliberately stamped on Oliveira and calls for him to be banned after images of the Reading man's face appeared on social media.
Mings said: “He sent the picture to me and when I saw it I felt horrendous. I could see he was bleeding on the pitch, but I couldn’t see the extent of the injury and I didn’t even know what had happened because it was an accident.
“I had messaged him straight after the game to see if he was OK. He was absolutely fine, in good spirits and said ‘don’t worry’.
"Then the next day, when I found out he had to have surgery, I messaged him again and he was a lot more cold and then I saw everything blow up in the media. I felt awful.”
