As Aston Villa’s Under 23 side took to the pitch against Manchester United on Friday evening, there was a familiar face back on the substitutes bench for the first time this season.
Great to see you back, @CalOhare! 🙌#PartOfThePride #AVFC pic.twitter.com/GTT8dNgBTb
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 17, 2018
Callum O’Hare picked up an injury in May’s Hong Kong Soccer Sevens trip I believe and he’s been working his way back to fitness since then and was a notable absentee from our pre-season preparations, especially when you consider how highly rated he is for us.
In any event, his rehabilitation work and search for fitness got a 45-minute boost as he came on in the defeat at the halftime break and by accounts he certainly hit the ground running again as he looked to make up for some lost time.
Following the match the youngster took to social media to express his delight at getting back on the grass, and most Villa fans were pleased to see him return and wished him well for what most believe is on the cusp of being announced – a season-long loan out to Barnsley so he can get a shot at proper game time and make the step up.
Wow it’s feels so good to play football
— Callum O’Hare (@CalOhare) August 17, 2018
play 30+ games and get a league winners medal? hopefully smashes league 1 then comes back with us in the prem ???? #UTV
— brett atkins (@brettatkinsUTV) August 17, 2018
That's the plan, everyone's a winner.
— Corey Michael Lee. (@CoreyMichaelLee) August 17, 2018
????
— AVFC U23 (@AVFCU23) August 17, 2018
Good luck on your loan move. Get some games under your belt and see you back at VP soon. ????????
— James Evans (@jamese9930) August 17, 2018
Good luck . Work hard and see you back at Villa . Hope Barnsley look after you you have a bright future .
— Shawfarmstud (@SFSshawfarmstud) August 17, 2018
Good luck. See you back at Villa soon, stronger, fitter, wiser and ready for the 1st team. You are the future…
— Alex Jennings (@AlexanderJenni1) August 18, 2018
This loan move on then to Barnsley ?
— Andy Wilson (@springvalered) August 18, 2018
Hopefully, the loan comes off as a decent chunk of game time under his belt is exactly what he needs at this stage of his development and any loan should naturally have a January break clause we can bring him back if the spell doesn’t go as we want, or we need him as an option.