Despite having started only one game, the infamous surrender to Manchester City in the FA Cup in which he was one of 8 outfield changes, Michael Bradley could yet seal a permanent move to the club ahead of next season according to caretaker manager Gary McAllister. In total, the American international, highly rated in his homeland, has played just 88 minutes of first team football, including a substitute appearance in the league draw at Blackpool. Other than that, the 23-year-old, on loan from Gladbach, has made just one appearances for the reserves and has been criticised in his short stints for looking off the pace of the English game. Despite this, McAllister feels he could still have a part to play in the run in and has left the door open for the midfielder to earn a move after a price was already agreed as a part of the loan deal.
“We are aware of these things. If we had got ourselves into a better position earlier in the season, then certain people would have got more game time.
“But we’re still very much aware that we need to keep this run going and when a team does well you don’t want to be making big changes, or changing things for the sake of it.
“With four games to go it is something that Gerard and I will be speaking about because there are two or three guys in the same boat as Michael.
“It’s true that it has been hard to play him in the situation we have been in at a time when we have had senior experienced players available.
“That is purely all that has held him back, nothing else, because his attitude has been top drawer.
“He is a fantastic professional for such a young guy – he is captain of his country, don’t forget, and he is a top player.
“He has done enough on the training ground to suggest there might be something come the end of the season because he is an honest, hard-working guy as well as a good player.”
“Michael has definitely got a goal in him and is someone who can take responsibility of shooting from distance.
“I think Stiliyan Petrov was a player who did that during his seasons at Celtic and we’ve seen it a little bit here at Villa that he is capable of scoring from distance.
“Before Stiliyan the last guy who could do it was probably Thomas Hitzlsperger.
“But Michael is not shy about taking responsibility of having a pop from 20 or 25 yards out.”
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