Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has praised new first team arrival Kaine Kesler Hayden.

The defender has come in from the club's youth setup, having signed for Villa in 2021.

Hayden is a right-back who can play in the way that manager Emery desires, especially with an increased burden falling on Matty Cash.

Emery told reporters of playing Cash, Ezri Konsa, or Hayden at right back: "Sometimes we needed to play being stronger defensively with Carlos and Konsa and Lenget trying to build with four or three. I think Konsa played before as a right full-back and as a center-back on the right. I want to share with him those possibilities in my tactical idea.

"Matty Cash is as well a right full-back, but played as a winger before and can play in those positions. I want to have versatile payers in the squad because it is very important how we want to manage each match in each moment when injuries come for example.

"We have added in our squad Kaine Kesler Hayden, because we needed one player being with his characteristics as a right full-back and the only player who can play like that is Matty Cash. With Kaine, we now have two. Kaine, he knows us and we know him. He was training with us six months and decided to get him because we will need him as a player with the characteristics he has."