Soccer: Don't waste our hard work, Delaney tells Villa

Defender Mark Delaney is urging Aston Villa not to throw away the fruits of their summer labours when they face NK Varteks in tonight’s UEFA Cup first-round first-leg tie.

Villa have come the long way round to take part in the competition - won by Liverpool last season - via six matches in the Intertoto Cup stretching back to July 14.

Now they will be odds-on favourites to book their place in the second round particularly after their form in recent matches against Manchester United and Liverpool.

But Welsh international Delaney is warning against slip-ups as he looks forward to his first ever UEFA Cup tie.

Delaney said: ‘‘Playing in Europe in a major competition is something I’ve always wanted to do and now I’ve got the chance after coming through our battles in the Intertoto.

‘‘We have started the season really well. People said the Manchester United game and the way we played was a one-off but then we’ve gone to Liverpool and played well and got three points. That’s how far we’ve come.

‘‘The squad and the players on the bench also show how things have developed at Villa. You need big squads if you are going to do well in Europe as well as the domestic competitions.’’

Even so, Delaney is taking nothing for granted against the Croatians and said: ‘‘Tonight we’ve got to make the most of getting through the Intertoto Cup, and the last thing we want is to throw away the good work of the summer by going out early on.

‘‘We won’t under-estimate things. But we’ve got a good draw, and I’m sure we will really try to get at Varteks on Thursday. We’ve got to make home advantage count.

‘‘European experience is vital, and it will certainly help me. I was playing non-league football three years ago, and the more experience I can get under my belt now the better it will be in the future.’’

Delaney now feels at home on the big stages with Villa, who snapped him up as a cut-price signing from Cardiff in the early part of 1999.

He showed his worth with the way he shackled Ryan Giggs and was equally impressive at Anfield.

Delaney said: ‘‘You want to play against the best and see how far you have come, and it was good for me to play really well in those two games with United and Liverpool.

‘‘It gave me a bit of confidence and it gives you belief. When you are up against world-class English and foreign players there is nothing more satisfying than doing really well.

‘‘I came here after playing for eight months with a Third Division side and I didn’t really know what to expect. The last couple of years have been a learning curve.

"Now I’m making the most of my third season. We know the importance of good squads. But you want to play, and it’s great to be in the team at present.

‘‘As a team I think the fact we have reverted back to a back four from 3-5-2 suits our style of football.

‘‘As a back four we are looking solid, and the players in front of us are doing the job and scoring goals.’’