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Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill praises skipper Stiliyan Petrov’s influence at the club
Villains boss hails captain…
31 May 2010 14:05:00
By Danny Hart
Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill has hailed captain Stiliyan Petrov for his performances this season.
The Bulgaria international helped guide Villa to a sixth-placed finish, playing in all but one of their Premier League games.
O’Neill admits Petrov struggled to adjust after moving to Villa Park from Celtic in 2006, but has been delighted by his skipper’s progress over the last two years.
"I've been particularly pleased with Stiliyan,” he told the club’s official website.
"He has done exceptionally well here in the last two seasons.
"It took him a bit of time to get adjusted to things here. I had known him from my Celtic days. He has been an exceptional player for us the last couple of seasons.”
Petrov was appointed captain at the star of the season after Martin Laursen was forced to retire and O’Neill has been impressed by his leadership skills.
He said: "I think he has taken the captaincy on and one of the things he does do here, he tries to work off the field as strongly as possible for his team-mates.
"I think they have a very high regard for him and I'm delighted with the job he is doing, not just as a captain but importantly as a player for us.
"I just think he has been remarkable. As a captain, I couldn't ask anymore of him with the things he has done on and off the field.
"He tries to look after the players as well as possible, as well as any captain I have ever known, and on the field in the last two seasons he has been fantastic."
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The Bulgaria international helped guide Villa to a sixth-placed finish, playing in all but one of their Premier League games.
O’Neill admits Petrov struggled to adjust after moving to Villa Park from Celtic in 2006, but has been delighted by his skipper’s progress over the last two years.
"I've been particularly pleased with Stiliyan,” he told the club’s official website.
"He has done exceptionally well here in the last two seasons.
"It took him a bit of time to get adjusted to things here. I had known him from my Celtic days. He has been an exceptional player for us the last couple of seasons.”
Petrov was appointed captain at the star of the season after Martin Laursen was forced to retire and O’Neill has been impressed by his leadership skills.
He said: "I think he has taken the captaincy on and one of the things he does do here, he tries to work off the field as strongly as possible for his team-mates.
"I think they have a very high regard for him and I'm delighted with the job he is doing, not just as a captain but importantly as a player for us.
"I just think he has been remarkable. As a captain, I couldn't ask anymore of him with the things he has done on and off the field.
"He tries to look after the players as well as possible, as well as any captain I have ever known, and on the field in the last two seasons he has been fantastic."
Become a fan of Goal.com UK's Facebook fan page for all the latest news and insight into everything related to the beautiful game!
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
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