Big Interview Exclusive: Aston Villa's Kortney Hause aiming to show Manchester City no respect in Carabao Cup final

On the contrary, no matter the challenges he has faced in his football career, the Villa defender has always been able to hit the right notes when it comes to his passion for music.

“Football is my first love and it has given me a life I could only have dreamed of for me and my family,” says Hause.

“But everyone has hobbies. Some players like to play golf and other sports. Mine has always been music because I consider myself a decent singer.”

Just one viewing of the music video he recorded in 2017 with childhood friend, the grime artist Alpha, is all that is required to confirm that claim. But his description of music as a mere hobby might be downplaying it.

Hause, who grew up in Essex one of seven brothers, has a music studio built into his home where younger sibling Rio has been working on a forthcoming album.

He continues: “Whenever I feel I want to make some music I can just go upstairs, find some beats and try to write a song.

“When I am not playing football, it is always music.

“I would not say it is an escape. It is just fun. There are not many people who can sing and sing well. If you have been given a talent you have to express that.

“Having loads of brothers is like having loads of best friends.

“When we were young we would watch videos of the Jackson Five, Usher and Boyz II Men. We always used to sing. From about the age of six I always used to sing and dance.”

While music was a constant presence growing up, so too was football and it was during kickabouts on playing fields close to the family home Hause’s potential was first spotted and nurtured by his eldest brother, Wesley.

The journey from there to the Premier League could hardly be described as smooth but overcoming the setbacks has helped Hause develop an inner steel beneath his amiable persona.

“I learned from quite a young age football was about ups and downs,” he says. “It has definitely helped me mentally but that is what experiences do, they make you as a player, as a person and a man.

“I feel everything I have been through has helped make me the person I am today.”

Released by West Ham at the age of 16, Hause spent a brief period with Blues before joining Wycombe, where he would make his senior debut.

A move to Wolves followed in the summer of 2014 and within months he had become a regular in Kenny Jackett’s team, earning England recognition at under-20 and then receiving an under-21 call-up in 2016.

But an unfortunately timed injury and the arrival of Willy Boly at Molineux then saw Hause out in the cold. Between the summer of 2017 and joining Villa on loan in January last year, he made only six appearances.

Things didn’t exactly start well at Villa either, a nightmare substitute cameo in a 3-0 defeat Wigan on debut meaning Hause immediately faced a battle to win round supporters.

Yet after finding his feet, he went on to become something of an unsung hero in the club’s charge to promotion.

While the prospect of facing Manchester City in tomorrow’s Carabao Cup final might appear somewhat daunting, it is nothing compared to the situation Hause found himself last year at Wembley in the Championship play-off final.

Martyn Waghorn had just scored to pull the score back to 2-1 when Hause, who had not played for a month due to injury, was introduced as an 86th minute substitute for Tyrone Mings.

“That is honestly the most nervous I have been,” he admits. “You are coming on with what, 10 minutes to go? You know what is at stake in terms of the club getting promoted.

“I’d always had it in my mind after leaving Wolves to come to Villa and help them get back to the Premier League.

“In those minutes that is all on the line. I am thinking of all of that as I’m about to come on. Thankfully, we did it.”

For Hause, who at the age of just 24 has already learned the art of patience, a chief motivation is now proving people wrong.

“Everyone has doubters and people who don’t believe in them. I think that is what is life about,” he says.

“Did I feel people were writing me off? Yeah. But you are going to have that all through your career.”

Hause would complete a £3million permanent move to Villa in the summer and after a frustrating start to the season, when he again found himself on the sidelines, has started the last 11 Premier League matches, making his top flight debut in December’s 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United.

“Since I was young I dreamed of playing in the Premier League so to actually do it, finally,was a nice feeling, a proud moment,” he says.

“But I am a competitor and I want to win. It has been hard being on the back of losses. It is not good, is it?

“Of course, it is part of being a footballer. I think on the whole I have done OK. But I haven’t been at my best in terms of where I want to be.

“It is my first season in the Premier League and it is the same for quite a few players at the club. It is important we learn from these experiences.”

The most chastening of those came against City last month when Villa were humbled 6-1 on their own turf. Hause believes Dean Smith’s team were guilty of showing the reigning Premier League champions too much respect.

“We all know how good Man City are but I honestly think it was an off day from us,” he claims. “They are not that much better than us, not by that scoreline.

“This is one game at Wembley and we are going to compete. We have to.

“It was pretty embarrassing what happened at Villa Park. We showed them too much respect. That is literally all I can put it down to.

“If you show top quality players too much respect they are going to punish you and that is what happened.”

Villa have since beaten Leicester to reach tomorrow’s final. Hause made headlines in the aftermath after revealing their use of football’s ‘dark arts’ in order to overcome the heavily-favoured Foxes.

He explained: “We didn’t show Leicester respect. Did they play better football than us? Maybe.

“But in terms of dominating them, getting around them and being up for it, I think we beat them.

“That will be the case with Man City as well. All we can do is try our best and show character and try not to respect them as much. If you look at the matches we have done well in we have outrun the opposition, played more intent and enthusiasm.

“You have to do the dirty, nasty side of the game. That gives you the platform.”