Ross Barkley is excited to be a Villan following the completion of a season-long loan move from Chelsea.
The England international is keen to play regular Premier League football for Aston Villa, with the rescheduled European Championships taking place next summer.
And Barkley is hoping he can produce the performances that will make him a hit for club and country.
He said: “The last couple of years I’ve been stop-start, performing well and then being out of the team.
“To come here and have the chance to play and perform regularly is a big thing for me. With the Euros at the end of the season, it’s a big target for me and hopefully I can be there.
“Dean Smith swayed me with the way he spoke to me, and it looks like it’s going to be an exciting season.”
The 26-year-old knows a number of his new teammates from England duty, as well as having a long-standing friendship with Jack Grealish.
Barkley says the Villa captain had a role in persuading him that Villa Park was the right place for him.
“We’re mates off the field and we know each other well,” he said.
“We’ve spoken previously and I’m looking forward to playing with him.
“I’ve spoken to him over the past couple of weeks and he’s been telling me about how good the club is and how welcomed I’d be when I came here.”
