Tom Heaton returns to Manchester United (Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United have signed a deal to bring goalkeeper Tom Heaton back to the club on a free transfer, with his contract at Aston Villa expiring at the end of June.
Heaton spent eight years playing for Manchester United from 2002 to 2010, although he never appeared for the club in the first team and spent much of that time on loan before eventually giving up a permanent contract with Cardiff City.
The 35-year-old now faces a somewhat unlikely return to Old Trafford 11 years after leaving the club and will replace David De Gea and Dean Henderson who are fighting for gloves on the first team.
The Mirror reports that Heaton and the Red Devils have been in talks for weeks but now a deal has been struck and he will rejoin the club when his villa deal expires on June 30th.
Heaton’s time at Villa got off to a promising start when he made 20 Premier League appearances in the 2019-2020 season after signing Burnley, but a serious knee injury followed by the arrival of Emiliano Martinez meant he wasn’t at all this season played in the league.
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The keeper really made a name for himself in Burnley, playing 200 games for the Clarets and winning three caps for England thanks to his impressive performances.
A widely respected achiever, he is seen as a positive influence at Manchester United, although he is unlikely to play many, if any, first-team games.
Villa manager Dean Smith was asked about Heaton’s future earlier this month but offered little as an update.
“Tom’s contract, as we know, expires at the end of the season,” said Smith.
“As far as I know, he is in negotiations with Johan Lange, our sports director. It’s a private conversation between them at the moment. ‘
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