O’Neill plays down Colly link

ASTON VILLA manager Martin O’Neill has played down reports linking Stan Collymore with a return to the club.

O’Neill took the former England striker to Leicester in a cut-price deal six years ago and Collymore is reported to be keen on a reunion with the Irishman. However, O’Neill has played down the link and expressed doubts over Collymore’s plans to come out of retirement after five years away from the game.

He said: “Stan is 35 and he would have to get fit. He would need a lot of willpower and a lot of self-determination to get fit for the Premier League to be perfectly honest.”