Ashley Young is cheap at TWICE the price, says Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill

Martin O'Neill admits he paid almost double what he planned for Ashley Young - but insists the ace is now one of Europe's top five wingers.

Aston Villa boss O'Neill recalls eyebrows were raised when he splashed a then club-record £9.65million to Watford for Young in January 2007.

But Young has continued his superb form from last term to help Villa to fifth using his brilliant deadball skills and crossing.

Young's displays saw him rewarded with a new four-year deal last month to become the club's biggest earner on £56,000-a-week.

And with Villa on the brink of reaching the UEFA Cup knock-out stages, O'Neill says England ace Young, who has four caps, is a key man.

"I wouldn't know five players in Europe that play Ashley's position as well he does," said O'Neill, whose side top Group F after successive wins. "I didn't really want to pay the type of money for him we did though.

"I thought at one time we might get him for £5.5m.

"We ended up paying an initial £8m with a further payment on top but he has been incredible, terrific.

"It would be lovely at some stage in his life if he won some medals which is what it used to be all about. Ashley has that type of driving ambition and from the end of that 2006/2007 season right through until last year he came on leaps and bounds."

O'Neill will hand a rare full outing to Marlon Harewood against Slovakian club MSK Zilina tonight, who are already doomed with one point from three games.

Harewood, who has started just one Premier League game since signing from West Ham in July 2007 for £4m, is still set to leave in January once O'Neill signs another forward.

Bolton and Stoke are willing to buy Harewood while West Brom and Middlesbrough want him on loan.

And it appears increasingly likely Wigan's Emile Heskey, 30, will arrive after working with O'Neill at Leicester.

Heskey is out of contract next summer after refusing a new deal and Latics owner Dave Whelan says they may sell the England star next month.

O'Neill added: "There is a vacancy in our team to go and play centre forward and to go and score goals.

"I understand what Dave Whelan has been saying because no one really wants a quality player to run the course of his contract.

"Generally the player who has just six months left of a contract is in the driving seat and it is as simple as that.

"No one wants to lose a player for nothing if you can avoid it but if it happens it happens."

Zilina coach Dusan Radolsky believes O'Neill can lead Villa to UEFA Cup and Premier League glory.

Radolsky is a big admirer of what O'Neill achieved at Celtic and now with the Midlands club.

Radolsky said: "I am a big fan of Martin O'Neill. I respect his work and Villa are soon going to belong to the group of top teams in the Premier League.

"They have made good progress under Martin during these past two and a half years. I remember him being in charge at Celtic and he put his mark on that team.

"Already he has put his mark on this Villa team. They have a lot of quality."

PROBABLE TEAMS

VILLA Guzan, Cuellar, Knight, Davies, L Young, Milner, Salifou, Petrov, Gardner, A Young, Harewood

ZILINA Pernis, Pekaria, Vomacka, Sourek, Leitner, Strba, Pecalka, Rilue, Adauto, Jez, Sttuar

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