Matt Targett has revealed his personal goal is to break into Gareth Southgate’s England squad. Newcastle United shelled out around £12million to make the former Aston Villa left-back a permanent fixture on Tyneside after impressing on loan last season.
Arriving in January, the 26-year-old played all but one game - the 1-0 victory against his parent club - as the Magpies resurrected their campaign and steered comfortably towards Premier League survival. Targett solved Newcastle’s long-term puzzle at left-back, making the position his own and cementing his status as a dependable, top-flight defender.
It was clear his first-team opportunities would be limited at Villa following Lucas Digne’s arrival and, despite Steven Gerrard’s wishes, the full-back pursued a move. Newcastle and Eddie Howe were the beneficiaries and Targett’s impressive loan stint saw him pen a four-year extension in June to become the first summer signing.
