Watching Wolves promotion fuelling Kortney Hause's hunger to repeat the feat with Aston Villa

The 23-year-old defender impressed again on Saturday as Dean Smith’s team brushed aside Middlesbrough to move into the top six for the first time since September.

Hause was part of the Wolves’ title-winning squad last term, though he was limited to just one brief substitute appearance and watched much of the campaign from the bench.

But he has now started the last seven games after joining Villa on loan in January and he said: “This is more fulfilling, definitely. To be playing in a team pushing for promotion is way better than sitting on the bench (like last season).

“Even though I sat on the bench, I did learn just from watching. Seeing other players at Wolves succeed promotion has made me hungry.

“I want that as well and to do the same at Villa. Hopefully we can carry on after the international break, really put our foot on the gas and give it a really good go.”

Goals from Anwar El Ghazi, John McGinn and Albert Adomah helped Villa ease to a 3-0 win over fifth-placed Boro, who they now trail by just a single point.

It continued a remarkable turnaround which has seen Dean Smith’s men erase a nine-point gap to the play-offs over the course of just five games. Villa begin the final eight-match run-in when they host Blackburn on Saturday week.

“We knew before the game what was at stake and even before the four games in a row, we knew if we could go on a little run we could be really up there,” said Hause.

“The aim before that run was to get into the play-offs and now we are hungry for more and fight to the end every single game.

“Can we stay in the top six? 100 per cent, yes. We are young and we are confident and we are hungry and there is no reason why we can’t stay in sixth position or push on and go even higher.”