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.
Now, with his United future resolved, the left-back has outlined his ambition to represent England. Recent injury concerns to Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell presents a window of opportunity for somebody else to stake their claim.
Representing three different clubs in the Premier League means Targett - who played for the Three Lions at U19, U20 and U21 levels - is a dependable option for Southgate. Speaking to NUFC TV, the ex-Southampton academy product discussed how he can realise his international dream.
“Hopefully (I can) give myself a chance of getting in and around the England team,” Targett said. “I think that would be a success story for me. I need to add numbers to my game, keep trying to improve in the attacking third, be a good defender and help the team.
“The better the team does, the better you do as an individual. Hopefully, it won’t be much longer until I get my first goal here.
“Burny (Dan Burn) will probably have more chances than me, considering he’s a giant and wins pretty much every header!”
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