---
title: "Dean Smith eager to keep Tom Heaton at Villa Park"
canonical: "https://readastonvilla.com/2021/01/27/dean-smith-eager-to-keep-tom-heaton-at-villa-park/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Crippy Cooke"
section: "Aston Villa News"
published: "2021-01-27T16:00:00Z"
modified: "2021-01-27T16:00:00Z"
---

# Dean Smith eager to keep Tom Heaton at Villa Park

[Tom Heaton](https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/15/dean-smith-provides-positive-injury-update-on-heaton-hause-and-guilbert/) has recently come back from a [serious knee injury](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/01/02/aston-villas-premier-league-survival-hopes-suffer-blow-fears/) but has found himself on the bench upon making his return to Aston Villa’s first team squad.

The 34-year-old hasn’t made an appearance [at senior level since last January](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-heaton/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/34130/verein/405) and has only [represented](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-heaton/leistungsdaten/spieler/34130) the under-23s this season. He has been an unused substitute in Villa’s last [five Premier League games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-heaton/leistungsdaten/spieler/34130).

However, Villa manager Dean Smith insists that the England international has a place in the squad, telling [Birmingham Live](https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/dean-smith-clarifies-futures-two-19708046): “(He’s a) valuable member of my squad.

‘‘Tom at the moment (is) on the bench. (He’s a) valuable squad member who wants pitch-time obviously but will have to be patient.”

Heaton finds himself behind Emiliano Martinez in the pecking order as the former Arsenal goalkeeper is enjoying a dream debut season at Villa Park. The Argentine conceded only 18 goals in [17 Premier League appearances](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/emiliano-martinez/leistungsdaten/spieler/111873) (1.06 per game) and boasts [nine clean sheets](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/emiliano-martinez/leistungsdaten/spieler/111873) (52.9% of games).

Martinez has faced [74 shots on target](https://fbref.com/en/players/7956236f/Emiliano-Martinez) and has been equal to 56 of them (78.4%), so it’s hard to see Heaton getting into the team unless things change suddenly.

The 34-year-old [joined](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-heaton/transfers/spieler/34130) Villa from Burnley in 2019 and has gone on to make 20 appearances in all competitions, conceding 35 goals and keeping four clean sheets ([Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-heaton/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/34130)).

### READ ASTON VILLA VERDICT

Heaton had [very much been Villa’s number one goalkeeper](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-heaton/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/34130/plus/0/saison/2019/wettbewerb/GB1/verein/405) before last January’s cruciate ligament injury – ironically [at the home of his former club](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/01/02/aston-villas-premier-league-survival-hopes-suffer-blow-fears/) in the previous instalment of tonight’s fixture – changed the course of his career in the Midlands.

As Villa travel to Turf Moor, he is very much a backup figure in Smith’s squad. A [similar status at Burnley](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tom-heaton/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/34130) was the reason he left for Villa in the first place, and it may take a stroke of misfortune for Martinez to get him back into the side.