By Graham Hill
DEAN Smith reckons Tyrone Mings has been a huge addition to the Villa dressing room since arriving on loan in January.
And he believes the players see Mings as one of the natural leaders on the field during games.
Smith says Jack Grealish automatically hands Mings the captain’s armband when he comes off towards the end of matches – and that shows how highly the Bournemouth defender is regarded.
The Villa manager told reporters “I think his impact has been off the pitch as well.
“With no instigation from me at all, when he’s come off in the last couple of games Jack’s given the armband to Tyrone – which just shows the influence he’s had off the pitch and in the dressing room.
“He’s someone I’ve known about for a long time and when I felt we could get him in here I was really pleased.”
Smith said he was not worried about a fitness record that has seen Mings play barely 20 games in four years.
He added: “The fact he hadn’t played many games over the last 18 months didn’t bother me because I knew he was over his injury problems.
“He looks a really good player and I believe he is a really good player. Hopefully that can continue to the end of the season for us.”
Villa Roar 