SWINDON Town will face Premier League opposition in their pre-season programme ahead of the 2015-16 season.

Mark Cooper’s side will face FA Cup finalists Aston Villa at the County Ground in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday, July 21 (kick-off 7.45pm).

Ticket details will be announced by the club in due course.

Villa boss Tim Sherwood is well-known to Town chairman Lee Power, with the duo having played together at Norwich in the early 1990s, and was at the County Ground for Swindon’s League One play-off semi-final second leg at home to Sheffield United earlier this month.

Sherwood’s assistant at Villa Park is former Town boss Kevin MacDonald, who was in the hotseat at the County Ground in 2013.

Earlier this week, Villa had looked in pole position to sign Massimo Luongo and Ben Gladwin from Town, only for the duo to agree deals with Queens Park Rangers.