Dean Smith backs Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings to play his way into England reckoning

Mings faces the Cherries for the first time since his £20million summer switch in Villa’s Premier League home opener.

The 26-year-old earned rave reviews for his performance in last weekend’s defeat at Tottenham.

Smith expects more of the same as the campaign progresses and believes it is only a matter of time before Mings catches the eye of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.

He said: “I don’t think we (England) blessed with too many left-footed centre-backs but I’m fortunate as I’ve got two because I’ve got Kortney Hause as well.

“Tyrone certainly catches the eye, certainly with how he plays. He’s good on the ball, athletic, he’s good in the air as he showed last week.

“I think he’s a tremendous talent. The more games he gets the more he’ll come into people’s minds and that’ll probably include the England coaching staff as well.”

Smith continued: “It can give you a boost. Gareth [Southgate] came to a game in the Championship last season.

“The players know what an opportunity it is for them to first perform for Aston Villa in the Premier League and then put themselves in the shop window in terms of international coaches to come and watch them and pick them.”

Mings joined Villa, with whom he spent the second half of last season on loan, after a frustrating injury-wracked four-year spell on the south coast.

In total, he was limited to just 23 senior appearances for the Cherries but Smith does not believe he enters Saturday’s match with anything to prove against his former employers.

“Tyrone knew he needed to get out and play football, which he did for Villa last year and the match was very good,” said Smith.

“We enjoyed having Tyrone here and the opportunity to buy him we took up and I know Eddie has said he didn’t really want him to leave.

“He’s liked by both clubs obviously but Tyrone knows he’s one of 11 players who’s going to be out on the football pitch and he has to perform for his team-mates.”

Villa signed Mings in a deal which could eventually be worth £26.5million if all clauses are met.

While some commentators raised eyebrows at the cost, Smith is confident it will eventually prove money well spent.

"I think everyone knew he wanted to come here and Bournemouth probably didn't want him to go so it was always going to be tough negotiating," he said.

"You look at the market as it went on it doesn't look a bad deal now even though at the time you're thinking we are getting pushed here.

"Our chief executive, Christian Purslow, went on TV and said the other day the amount of money is out there that we paid is not the fixed amount.

"Tyrone will need to go and play an awful lot of games for Aston Villa for it to be that much and, if he does, he'll be worth it, that's for sure."

Smith, meanwhile, dismissed reports linking striker Jonathan Kodjia with a move to Besiktas.