MK Dons have signed Aston Villa full-back Kaine Kesler on loan.
Kesler, 19, will spend the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign with the Dons after completing a Deadline Day switch to Stadium MK.
An England Under-20 international, Kesler enjoyed a successful loan spell at Swindon Town during the first half of this season, ranking amongst the best in his position for attacking duels, progressive runs, dribbles and passes.
He also captained the Villians youth side to FA Youth Cup glory in 2021 and was named Man of the Match on his senior debut for the Midlands club.
“I’m delighted to be here,” Kesler told iFollow MK Dons after finalising the loan switch.
“It was time for me to take the next step in my development and when I heard MK Dons were interested, my head was turned.
“The style of play was a massive draw for me - I’ve been brought up on this style of football at Aston Villa so it suits me perfectly.
“Hopefully I can kick on here and progress even more. We’ve got a lot to fight for this season and I want to help the Club in any way that I can.”
Kesler has come through the youth ranks at Aston Villa, with whom he won the FA Youth Cup in 2021, captaining the side to glory against Liverpool at Villa Park.
It was against Liverpool when the full-back made his senior debut for the Villians in January 2021. Kesler played the full 90 minutes and, despite defeat, was awarded Man of the Match for his performance.
He joined Swindon Town at the start of this campaign and quickly started to impress in a Robins shirt. His early-season form earned him a call up to the England Under-20s squad in September and he has since featured four times for the Young Lions.
Kesler totalled 21 appearances during his five months in Wiltshire, scoring his first professional goal and providing two assists.
Sporting Director Liam Sweeting said: “I am delighted to welcome another top loan addition to our squad. He is attack minded, quick, technically strong and will drive both on the inside and outside.
“Kaine is someone we have tracked for a long time following his quick progression through Aston Villa’s academy and particularly after how well he performed for Swindon in the first half of the season.
“I am looking forward to watching his impact at Stadium MK and I’d like to thank Adam Henshall and Aston Villa for trusting us with the next chapter in Kaine’s development.”
Head Coach Liam Manning added: “Kaine is an exciting young player who we have been following for some time. He had an excellent spell at Swindon Town earlier this season and we are looking forward to working with him between now and the end of the season.
“This is another example of a Premier League club entrusting us with the development of one of their young players. We are grateful to Aston Villa for allowing Kaine to continue his journey here at MK Dons.”
