philly villain
09 Feb 2009, 05:51 PM
Saw it and thought I should share:
WATFORD, England (AP) - Winger James Milner paid tribute to Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill on Monday for getting six of his club's players into the national squad to face Spain.
Milner joins defender Luke Young, fellow winger Ashley Young, midfielder Gareth Barry and strikers Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor in the 23-man squad going to Seville to face the European champion in a friendly on Wednesday.
He said that O'Neill, a former Northern Ireland international who won the European Cup as a player with Nottingham Forest, had become a top quality manager.
"You can see from his track record how well he's done with players," Milner said of O'Neill who has lifted Villa up to third in the Premier League. "The first time I was there (on loan), Gaby (Gabriel Agbonlahor) was in and out of the side at Villa. You see how much he's come on and what more he's added to his game.
"It's a great club to be playing for at the moment. I'm enjoying my football and lucky enough to be playing with good players, working with good staff and the manager fills you with a lot of confidence. You can see from the run we've been on this season, when you're enjoying your football you'll play your best football and we've been doing that."
Milner said the stability at the club, owned by Randy Lerner of the Cleveland Browns NFL team, was very different from his previous clubs, Leeds and Newcastle, where managers and even owners changed.
"Obviously with the clubs I have been at before there's been distraction off the field, changing managers which obviously doesn't help," said Milner, who transferred to Villa on a four-year deal in August having had a loan spell the previous season. "At Aston Villa the setup's very good from the top right the way through and that helps you to play your best football. You don't have to worry about anything else.
"That stability is a massive factor in playing your best football and improving because changing managers every few months doesn't help you at all."
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9192516/Milner-salutes-Villa-manager-O'Neill
WATFORD, England (AP) - Winger James Milner paid tribute to Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill on Monday for getting six of his club's players into the national squad to face Spain.
Milner joins defender Luke Young, fellow winger Ashley Young, midfielder Gareth Barry and strikers Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor in the 23-man squad going to Seville to face the European champion in a friendly on Wednesday.
He said that O'Neill, a former Northern Ireland international who won the European Cup as a player with Nottingham Forest, had become a top quality manager.
"You can see from his track record how well he's done with players," Milner said of O'Neill who has lifted Villa up to third in the Premier League. "The first time I was there (on loan), Gaby (Gabriel Agbonlahor) was in and out of the side at Villa. You see how much he's come on and what more he's added to his game.
"It's a great club to be playing for at the moment. I'm enjoying my football and lucky enough to be playing with good players, working with good staff and the manager fills you with a lot of confidence. You can see from the run we've been on this season, when you're enjoying your football you'll play your best football and we've been doing that."
Milner said the stability at the club, owned by Randy Lerner of the Cleveland Browns NFL team, was very different from his previous clubs, Leeds and Newcastle, where managers and even owners changed.
"Obviously with the clubs I have been at before there's been distraction off the field, changing managers which obviously doesn't help," said Milner, who transferred to Villa on a four-year deal in August having had a loan spell the previous season. "At Aston Villa the setup's very good from the top right the way through and that helps you to play your best football. You don't have to worry about anything else.
"That stability is a massive factor in playing your best football and improving because changing managers every few months doesn't help you at all."
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9192516/Milner-salutes-Villa-manager-O'Neill