O'Neill gives Villa young guns a history lesson

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill has had his wish to embrace the club’s illustrious history granted by having framed photographs of the 1981 League Championship and 1982 European Cup-winning sides hung at the training ground.

O’Neill is hoping the images of Gordon Cowans, Peter Withe, Dennis Mortimer and co on the walls of Bodymoor Heath will inspire current players to achieve the same levels of success.

“The history of this club is fantastic,” said O‘Neill. “The last thing you want to do is hide it away.

“The important thing is to put it in front of you. That’s what we are doing for the benefit of some of the younger players who might not know the history.

“Every day at the training ground, it should be there in front of them. Gordon Cowans (Villa youth team coach) is very pleased about it!

“Randy Lerner (Villa owner) is interested in the history of the club. It is good to here.”

O’Neill added: “It’s not me wanting to ingratiate myself with the 1981 and 1982 teams. I have been in two European Cup-winning sides but there is no reason to hide what they achieved.

“We should try to aspire to it. At the minute we are miles away but that doesn’t mean you can‘t go for it.

“We are hoping that over the next century we can get close to it. It might not happen but it’s worth striving for.”