Player #888 for Aston Villa, Kevin Stephen Toner, known as Kevin Toner, played as a centre back for the club during the 2015-16 Premier League season, making four appearances.

Toner was born in Ashbourne, Ireland, on 18 July 1996 and was signed from Home Farm in July 2012. He was promoted to the first team by caretaker boss Eric Black at the tail-end of the 2015-16 relegation season, making his first squad appearance as an unused substitute in Villa’s Premier League defeat to AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, 9 April 2016.

Toner was again named in the squad for the 2-4 home loss to Southampton on Saturday, 23 April 2016, coming on as a half-time substitute for the hapless Micah Richards to make his debut for the club aged 19.

Toner made his first start for Villa in the following game as Villa lost 2-3 at Watford on Saturday, 30 April 2016 and made two further appearances to feature in the final four games of Villa’s torrid 2015-16 relegation season.

It may never have happened, however, as Toner had only recently been persuaded to return to Villa after suffering from homesickness:

“I said I wasn’t going back to England - I was going to quit football - but my Dad made me go back over, we spoke to the manager and three or four weeks later I made my debut.”

Eric Black was glad he did, however, enthused after his debut that:

“I thought he was outstanding.

“Andros Townsend has been their best player in the last four or five games; he’s been outstanding, and we knew that.

“We looked at the video and the biggest threat was down the right-hand side, which was a big ask for Kevin Toner, but, my goodness, did he stand up to it.

“He deserves enormous credit for coming into a difficult situation with his head held high, and not only that, he has performed at a Premier League level.”

For his part, Toner took Villa’s relegation as an opportunity for positive thinking:

“I thought I might benefit from us going down, that maybe a few players would be leaving.”

But he was disappointed:

“Instead, they brought in some big boys, and I was back down the pecking order.

“I was playing under-23s football again, I went out on loan but I didn’t do very well, I was a bit lost and I came home.”

Toner had made his final appearance for Villa on Sunday, 15 May 2016, aged 19, in the 0-4 away defeat to Arsenal before moving on to St. Patrick’s Athletic in January 2018 on a free transfer at the age of 21.

Toner had played under Villa caretaker boss Eric Black.