Aston Villa have confirmed that Tom Heaton will leave the club following the expiration of his contract this summer, paving the way for a return to Manchester United.
The 35-year-old stopper moved to Villa Park in 2019 from Burnley and is now due to be on the move again, with a return to Old Trafford on the cards.
Heaton started his career at United in 2002, spending eight-years with the club before snubbing a new contract and leaving to join Cardiff City on a free transfer.
He went on to establish himself as a regular first-team goalkeeper in the Premier League, rising to become an England international in the process.
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Heaton's move to United comes amid a goalkeeping shake-up for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, with Sergio Romero and Lee Grant set to leave upon the expiration of their deals.
The experienced stopper will fill the void left by Grant's departure, as understudy to Dean Henderson and David de Gea, but harbours ambition of competing with the duo for regular opportunities.
They may not be the only goalkeeping moves this summer though, with Solskjaer due to make a decision on his first-choice - with whoever is deemed to be second fiddle likely to push for a departure of their own.
In two seasons with Villa, Heaton has experienced varied fortunes. Upon his move to the club from Burnley, he became the club's first-choice goalkeeper and played the opening 20 matches in the club's return to the Premier League.
However, a knee injury suffered on New Year's Day in 2020 ruled him out for the remainder of the season and he only returned to fitness in December last year.
By that time, Emiliano Martinez had secured the first-choice spot following his transfer to the club from Arsenal last summer.
