Aston Villa loanee Josh Onomah planning Tottenham return as he targets regular first-team berth

Josh Onomah has signalled his intention to return to fight for a regular first-team role at Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the season, even if loan club Aston Villa succeed in their quest to gain promotion back to the Premier League after a two-year absence.

The box-to-box midfielder has impressed since joining the Villains on a season-long deal in August, winning back his place in the starting XI last month and helping Steve Bruce's side to continue an impressive run of eight wins from their last 11 league matches that has seen them rise to fourth in the Championship, five points adrift of second-place Cardiff City.

Bruce has been effusive in his praise of Onomah, whose deflected long-range strike ensured that Villa condemned rock-bottom Sunderland to defeat in their first match under Chris Coleman on Tuesday night (21 November).

He previously stated that the club would try to "break the bank" to sign him on a full-time basis, although acknowledged the difficulties involved with that.

A return to the top-flight would obviously put Villa in a far better position to compete for and afford players of such obvious potential, although the Under-20 World Cup winner does not seem to be contemplating a permanent transfer at this stage as he plots a long-term future with Tottenham.

"Obviously I want to do well here and help Villa get promoted, then go back to my parent club and get back in the team," Onomah was quoted as saying by the Birmingham Mail.

Enfield-born academy graduate Onomah, now a regular for England's Under-21 side, was handed his senior Tottenham debut as a 17-year-old back in 2015 and has since made 32 appearances across all competitions, although featured just 12 times under Mauricio Pochettino last term.

"Last season I did not play as much as I would have liked," he admitted. "This season I am playing and enjoying it. The gaffer is always talking to me, being positive with me. A manager like that, who played in the Premier League and had a good career, it's good to learn from him."

Pochettino typically likes to keep his most talented youngsters at Tottenham, which made his decision to allow Onomah - who it has been suggested could be used as part of a future deal to sign talented Watford forward Richarlison - and Sheffield United loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers to depart for the first time all the more surprising.

However, the contract extensions penned by both players shortly before their respective exits would suggest they still feature in the Argentine's plans moving forward.

"I think after two years, nearly two-and-a-half, of working with Josh and Cameron, if they cannot reach the starting eleven regularly in the team, this season was the last opportunity, or the opportunity now for them to try to move and try to play," Pochettino said in August.