Young keeps Villa sprightly

PEOPLE laughed at Martin O’Neill’s decision to spend €12 million on Ashley Young 12 months ago but the Aston Villa manager will be the one with the widest smile when the winger is selected in Fabio Capello’s first England squad this week.

The new national team manager will have left Villa Park with several names on his short-list for the friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on February 6, with David Bentley and Scott Carson also catching the Italian’s eye.

However it will be the memory of Young’s wonderful free-kick, that extended Aston Villa’s unbeaten run to eight games and his languid, free-running style that will have impressed Capello most as he plans to revitalise English football.