Luke Young has stated today that he is happy that he decided to reject a move to Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool over the summer. The right back has started every league game for Villa this term as he looks to revive his career at the club after a nightmare season under MON last term. Liverpool find themselves in the bottom 3, which is humorous to say the least, and Young has said that he is glad he made the choice to fight for his place at Villa Park.
The 31-year-old signed from Middlesbrough two years ago and impressed in his first season at the club with some uncompromising performances. The right back has restored balance to a lop-sided Villa side last term, with MON constantly preferring centre back, Cuellar in the right sided role. Luke has had an encouraging start to the season and scored only his second goal for the club in Villa’s 1-0 win over Everton earlier in the season. The former Charlton man has now started 57 times for Villa and is looking to hold onto his position under Gerard Houllier this term. Was Luke Young unlucky to be phased out under the previous regime and how do you rate him amongst the best right backs in the Premier League?
After a complete transformation of fortunes under the new management, Emile Heskey has become something of a 2 week cult hero at Villa. The 32-year-old striker has had a new lease of life under Gerard Houllier despite only playing 1 full game under the Frenchman. Heskey came on as a substitute in the 3-1 win against Blackburn, scoring and setting up a third for Ashley Young. He then scored a dramatic late winner at Molineux before a terrific start to the match against Tottenham. The Big Man humiliated Bassong and teed up Marc Albrighton for the 20-year-old’s first senior goal to give Villa the lead. A knock he picked up in his assisting endeavours proved unshakeable and Villa never really looked the same after John Carew replaced him around half an hour in.
His form led England manager Fabio Capello to attempt to lure Heskey out of international retirement, a decision he made after a dismal World Cup performance by England. His departure was supposed to make way for a so called ‘revolution’ of the England set-up but that hasn’t lasted very long. Capello has problems up front with Wayne Rooney’s mind clearly elsewhere, along £1500 of his pocket money, and injuries to striker’s Defoe and Zamora. Heskey’s snub has forced Capello to go for the youthful approach that he preached in 33-year-old Kevin Davies, a year Heskey’s senior. Davies will no doubt enjoy his time in an England tracksuit rather than a kit but some more serious back-tracking from the England boss. Does anybody fancy playing for England at the moment?
