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Done deal: Defender signs after Aston Villa settle terms
By Dominic Toner
Aston Villa defender Niall Mason has joined Doncaster Rovers on loan until January, it was announced on Saturday.
The 19-year-old is not in the immediate plans of manager Roberto Di Matteo and will gain first-team experience in League Two.
Both Aston Villa and Doncaster posted on their official Twitter accounts that a deal had been agreed for the youngster.
Loan news: All the very best to @NiallMason_5 as he joins @DRFC_Official until the New Year. #AVFC pic.twitter.com/MYHnS9Wig5
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) August 6, 2016
SIGNING NO. 2 | Welcome to the Club @niallmason_5 |18 year old joins on loan from @AVFCOfficial #DRFC pic.twitter.com/OP2umSnM0u
— Doncaster Rovers FC (@drfc_official) August 6, 2016
Mason joined Villa in June 2015 and established himself in the club’s Under-21 side.
He was called up to the first-team against West Ham last season but was unused substitute, and is still awaiting his first senior appearance.
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Villa the youngster was previously on the books at Southampton before deciding to leave St Mary’s for Villa Park.
The versatile player can fill in anywhere across the defence or can be used as a midfielder, but predominately plays centre-back.
Mason joins Carles Gil and Riccardo Calder on the list of players on loan from Villa, the latter also plying his trade at Doncaster this season.
Di Matteo will now focus on securing Villa an instant return back to the Premier League, after the club fell out of the division for the first time since its introduction in the 1992/93 season.
In other Aston Villa transfer news, they have tabled a bid for a Premier League midfielder.