Aston Villa striker Scott Hogan has admitted that he could leave the club in the near future in order to get more playing time.
The 27-year-old only played six Championship games for Dean Smith’s side before the end of January, when he was loaned out to Sheffield United and ended up playing eight more league for the automatic promotion winners
Speaking to RTE Sport, however, Hogan – who is on international duty with the Republic of Ireland – insisted that, heading into the peak of his career, he needs to think about his future carefully.
“I know [Dean Smith] likes me. He has been really impressed with me,” the forward said. “I’ve not played a lot of games. I think that was my first game in about six weeks since the end of the season.
“I only played seven or eight games which I really don’t like. I’ve got to get going. I’ve got to think about my future really. I’ve got to play.
“[Mick McCarthy] pulled me over at the end for a couple of minutes and said ‘I love everything about you but you have to go and play games’. It’s up to me now to knuckle down and play games, wherever it may be.
“I have got a good relationship with the manager [at Aston Villa]. He has had me before and he knows what I’m about. I’ve got to go in and get my head down and try to break into that team.
“If I can’t do that then I have to hold my hands up and look elsewhere. It’s up to the manager and the people above him.
“It’s a big club who are probably going to have a real go next year and spend a bit of money so whatever will be will be. The important thing is I get maybe 40 games under my belt because I’m confident if I get 40 games, I’ll get 25 goals.”
OPINION
This is a very honest admission and one that is definitely made with a heavy heart. Hogan clearly realises that – at 27 – he needs to ensure that he gets as much game time as he can while he is at the peak of his powers. And, looking at his current Villa record – it doesn’t look as if he will get that in the Premier League under Smith. The fact that he only made eight Championship appearances before being loaned out says it all, really. He clearly knows the clock is ticking and that he needs to get regular game time. Hogan has indicated that he needs 40 games a season, and if he was to stay at Villa, there is little chance he would get much of a look in in the top flight. His best chance would be in the cups, but even then there is clearly no way he will get to even 20 games. Overall, Hogan must indeed think carefully about his next step, while making sure that he does not jump into any rash decisions.