The Matt Targett 'surprise' comment on Aston Villa departure that bodes well for Newcastle United

With his place in the first team under serious threat at Aston Villa, Matt Targett jumped at the chance to join Newcastle United on deadline day.
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The loanee left-back made his debut in last Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Everton at St James’s Park and is set to return to The Magpies starting line-up for the trip to West Ham United on Saturday (12:30pm kick-off) after missing Sunday’s 1-0 win over his parent club.

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Targett had been a mainstay in the Villa side and played every match of the 2020-21 season for the Birmingham club.

Matt Targett of Newcastle United warms up prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Everton at St. James Park on February 08, 2022 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Matt Targett of Newcastle United warms up prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Everton at St. James Park on February 08, 2022 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Matt Targett of Newcastle United warms up prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Everton at St. James Park on February 08, 2022 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
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But the arrival of Lucas Digne from Everton during the January transfer window ‘surprised’ Targett and left the defender with a tough decision to make.

“It was a difficult decision because obviously last season especially, I was pretty much the only left-back [at Aston Villa],” Targett said.

"I knew the club wanted to sign a left-back and I was quite surprised when the club signed someone like Lucas Digne. He was out there at the time and the club had to do what they had to do.”

Targett’s hunger to play matches and impress for Newcastle in the Premier League bodes well in the battle to avoid relegation.

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"It was quite hard to take to sign someone of that calibre but that's where the club wants to go and I completely respect that,” he told talkSPORT.

“But at the same time, I'm 26 and I don't want to be sitting on the bench, I want to look back on my career and have played as many Premier League games as possible.”

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