Andre Green was enjoying a successful loan spell at Portsmouth before it was prematurely cut short.

The 20-year-old had been a hit at Fratton Park but was forced back to Villa Park as the Championship club needed to meet the quota for home-grown players.

That ended the 18-game loan the player had at the League One club, scoring five times as he left Pompey top of the third-tier heading into a busy second half of the season.

The England U20 international returned to Villa Park and was added straight to the bench for last weekend’s visit of in-form Hull City.

He had a 31-minute outing on his first appearance of the season for his parent club and did relatively well.

If getting into the side remains a trend for the youngster, then Green could well enjoy a successful season in the second tier.

But it is an important time in his career, having been loaned out to improve, and then doing well before an early return, the next six months could be crucial for his Aston Villa future.

Green now has a chance to impress Smith heading into a business end of the season, and it will be make-or-break for the 20-year-old.

It’s time for the midfielder to step up, and considering his statistics so far for Villa, that is imperative to his continued involvement in the side.

Last weekend was his 27th appearance in the famous claret and blue of the Midlands club, and his 18th from the bench.

In that time, over the last three-and-a-bit years, he has managed just one goal, that coming in a 4-2 win over Norwich in August 2017.

Not effective enough

From the left-wing position you would expect Green to be a king of the assists, but he is yet to register one for the club he has been at since 2015, averaging 0.6 crosses per game in the total games he has played for his parent club.

In total, Green has played 1011 minutes – far less than what he achieved in six months at Fratton Park.

Potency problems

Consistent involvement is a key to the continued association with Villa, and having impressed at Portsmouth, he could well get a chance for the rest of the year.

Especially as Yannick Bolasie has returned to Everton after his loan was cut short.

During his time with the Championship club, throughout his career there, he has averaged one shot per game, which will need to improve with the way Villa like to play and attack.

Positional switch?

Perhaps the wing is the wrong position for the 20-year-old as his average pass completion rate at Villa is 74.9 per cent, finding a teammate almost three-quarters of the time – and he has averaged ten passes per game since being at the club.

But his key pass contribution lets Green down considerably, generally registering 0.3 per game over his 27 appearances for the club.

And for a winger, 1.1 dribbles per game is pretty meagre considering the position and what it entails.

The verdict

From the stats during his career at Villa, the chances might not have been there but the application to take the opportunity has not either.

Portsmouth gave Green a chance on loan, and he paid them back, with performances and contribution for six-months having had regular game time.

The 20-year-old will need to grab this chance he is being given now, as it could well be his last one at the club.

It is imperative his stats improve, and he makes himself untouchable in a Villa side that need a hero, as Abraham will not be able to carry the burden alone for the rest of the season.

There is a player there, it has been seen, it just needs to show up and stay at Villa Park, and Green has six months to do so and prove he belongs as Villa Park for the long-term.