Tyrone Mings has delved into his past ahead of the new Premier League campaign as Aston Villa aim to make some noise in the top tier.

However, it could have been very different for Mings, who up until the age of 18 was training to be a mortgage adviser after failing to land an array of jobs.

The 26-year-old has opened up on those tough times before a move to Ipswich Town meant full-time professional football and a new lifestyle.

"When I was 18 I worked in a pub and then became a mortgage adviser. One Stop turned me down and said I didn't have enough experience," Mings told the Football Daily podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I ended up working as a mortgage adviser for ten or eleven months. It was only when I signed fully at Ipswich when I stopped that.

"I had been driving a Citroen Saxo at the time and it was awful. I had bought it for £100 and it had 120K miles on it. I signed for Ipswich and I got like a brand new Vauxhall Corsa. At the time I was like, 'wow, if this is what football is like I want more of it'."

Mings has remained down to earth even since his progression through the leagues and despite a £20m fee which saw him join Villa permanently from Bournemouth this summer.

"I think the numbers bandied around these days are astronomical. The market has gone crazy," Mings added.

"But there is always an opportunity to trip yourself. We are now all of us the minnows of the Premier League.

"You cannot rest on your laurels so I try not to get too caught up in the numbers."