Alan Hutton has reacted to the news that Callum O'Hare has rejected the chance to stay at Aston Villa, with his contract set to run out this summer.

O'Hare has spent this season away from Villa Park, enjoying a remarkable campaign on loan with Coventry City in League One.

It has been a magnificent season for both O'Hare and Coventry, with the Sky Blues being crowned champions of League One after the season came to an end this week.

Can you get full marks on this Coventry City higher or lower quiz?

O'Hare was a standout player for City in their title-winning campaign, scoring three goals and chipping in with four assists in 29 League One appearances this term.

City will undoubtedly be keen to sign O'Hare permanently this summer, with the 22-year-old recently knocking back Villa's efforts to extend the midfielder's deal beyond this season.

Speaking to Football Insider, though, former Villa defender Alan Hutton has defended O'Hare's decision, insisting that regular game time should be the priority for the creative playmaker.

He said: "Look, I think he’s a really good talent. Whether he would have broke in next year and obviously he also knows that.

"He’s getting to an age now where I think he has to play, there are people his age and younger that are playing week in, week out. He’s went on and got that feeling of playing every week and probably being loved and being one of the main men.

"He wants to continue that and grow as a player. From his point of view, of course I understand – it’s difficult leaving Villa, it’s his boyhood club, it’s always going to be tough but I think there comes a time in your career where you have to make a tough decision and that time is now."

O'Hare has made nine first-team appearances for Villa since coming through the ranks at Villa Park.

The Verdict

I think O'Hare deserves a lot of credit if he has actually turned down a new deal and leaves Villa this summer.

His ambition would have been to play for Villa week in, week out having supported the club since he was a child, but he needs to be playing regularly and if Villa can't give him that, he's right to want to leave.

If he does leave, then it seems inevitable that he will sign for Coventry permanently, which would just be the icing on the cake for the Sky Blues after winning promotion to the Championship.