O'Neill urges Villa duo not to give up on World Cup dream
Published 05:00 13/03/10 By James Nursey
Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has urged Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young not to give up on their England World Cup dream.
Striker Agbonlahor, 23, and winger Young, 24, were both omitted from Fabio Capello’s last squad for the friendly with Egypt.
But the Villa boss believes the pair still have a good chance of going to South Africa and Young starred in the 4-2 FA Cup win over Reading last weekend.
O’Neill said: “I am really hoping they wouldn’t give up on the World Cup and don’t want them to feel they are not going to get that chance.
“Ashley’s second-half performance on Sunday grabbed that game for us and got us back into the match.
“Not just scoring the goal to make it 2-1, but running with it and trying to get himself a bit of space. I am hoping that sort of thing will keep him and Gabby going.”
Agbonlahor is set to return at Stoke today as he looks to add to his 14-goal tally after an illness last weekend.
Young, Agbonlahor and James Milner have inspired Villa at times this term and O’Neill hopes John Carew now can following up his hat-trick at Reading.
The boss added: “Someone takes up the mantle of carrying a team for a couple weeks. Other players get carried at that time. Now it’s payback time. Other people have to come in.”
