Aston Villa star Ashley Young close to signing new deal

Aston Villa star Ashley Young is close to signing a new long-term contract which will make him the club's top earner on £56,000 a week. The winger, whose boss Martin O'Neill says is ready to terrorise Europe, is set for a call-up to the next England squad for November's friendly in Germany.

Villa have received a letter from the FA claiming Young, who has three caps, was unfortunate to miss out on Fabio Capello's latest squad.

But O'Neill reckons the Premier League Player of the Month for September is still in buoyant mood to face Portsmouth today. The Villa chief said: "Ashley is close to signing a new contract - it is pretty much all sorted.

"Although he is capable of turning any defender in Europe, he was disappointed at Chelsea in our last match because we couldn't get him into the game.

"I have no qualms about him at all though. England are going brilliantly but I'll be surprised if he is not on the plane to South Africa in 2010. His time will come, he knows that." Striker Gabriel Agbonlahor should play against Pompey despite coming off at half-time in the England U-21s play-off second-leg win over Wales in midweek with a hamstring twinge.

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