O’Neill urges Shorey to fight for place

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has told Nicky Shorey to fight for his place in the team.

Shorey, who joined Villa from Reading in the summer, has not started a game in the Premier League for two months.

“Players want to play every week and it’s been a difficult start for him,” said O’Neill. “But while I’ll monitor every single situation, I’d prefer to strengthen the squad rather than let people go.

“People can come to a football club and they can have a few downturns, but you have to try to fight back.

“Stiliyan Petrov would be the best case in point here. He has been as consistent as anyone for us this season and he is vindicating the faith I had in him.

“I don’t just bring people to the football club for the sake of it. You have to battle to get into the side.

“Look at Luke Young. He came here and it took a while for him to get into the swing of things, but he’s battled back and now he’s playing at left-back as if he’d done it all his life and he’s done brilliantly for us.”

[Source: The Sun]