Author: isport

Aston Villa defender Stephen Warnock has said that he is not expecting to get back into the England squad any time soon.

During the back end of last season, Stephen Warnock was left out of the Aston Villa squad, which severely hampered his chances of making it into the England squad. However, it seems that the 29-year-old has taken the situation on the chin, and accepted that he is happy just to be playing for Aston Villa – England would be a dream.

After forcing his way back into the Aston Villa fold under the new regime of Alex McLeish, Stephen Warnock is not looking to divert his attention from the task of excelling in the Premier League. Warnock was a member of the England World Cup squad at South Africa, but he has not been involved in the national team since November. He scored a goal against Manchester City most recently, but he also made a calamitous error in the match to allow Adam Johnson to score a very soft goal.

Stephen Warnock was quoted as saying “Whatever happens beyond my club form is a bonus. I understand it’s difficult to get in for England because Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines are in form and then there’s Kieran Gibbs, who is also a good player.”

Despite scoring against Manchester City, Warnock has once again stressed the fact that he wants to be a good defender first and foremost. He has also said that scoring has always not been his priority, although he would welcome some goals along the way.

It will be interesting to see if Stephen Warnock can force his way through the England squad. At least Warnock can be sure that he will get much more Premier League experience along the way now that he is back in McLeish’s plans.

Aston Villa were defeated by Stoke City despite the presence of Stephen Warnock. Stoke’s contrasting start to the season had seen them fail to register a point in their first three games, but record signing Jones, in search of his first goal since joining from Sunderland, was immediately involved.

The £8m summer buy was a menacing early presence and Stephen Warnock’s concentration was required to clear Etherington’s cross from his path after only 30 seconds. Nonetheless he and Robert Huth scored to give Stoke their first win of the season.

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has ruled out a move for former Liverpool player, Stephen Warnock. Aston Villa fullback Stephen Warnock has been linked with an Anfield return as Hodgson seeks a new left-back signing.

Asked if he was trying to bring Warnock back to provide reinforcements at left-back, Hodgson said: “No.”

Ex-Villa defender, Steve Staunton believes that Stephen Warnock would have learned so much from the World Cup and would return from it as a much better player. Like Warnock, Staunton came through the system at Liverpool before moving to Villa Park, though he now spends matches at Villa Park in the Aston Villa Hospitality Tickets.

Staunton is a big fan of Villa’s left-back, having spent a season with him at Coventry City.

Warnock was loaned out to the Championship club from Liverpool for the 2003-04 term and Staunton saw enough of him to realise he would have a big future in the game.

He told Villa’s website: “He was always going to make it.

“I was at Coventry when I first came across Stephen Warnock and played with him there. He came on loan from Liverpool. He was an aggressive full-back – and still is. That’s a big part of his game.

“He has tremendous running power too and he’s a good tackler. You could tell in his play that he was a tenacious player – he loved a tackle. He loves to get forward as well.

“His all-round game is very good. That’s why he was picked for the England squad. If you look at Villa’s back four and the goalkeeper too, it was another good season. When you’re full of confidence and keeping clean sheets, you’re going to play better. You can see that.

“The back four have come on leaps and bounds. Hopefully that continues again next season.”

Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock could be a surprise inclusion when Fabio Capello names his England World Cup squad later on Tuesday.

Warnock had been rated as extremely doubtful to be on the plane to South Africa after failing to take any part in the two recent warm-up games against Mexico and Japan.

With only six minutes’ international experience – as a substitute against Trinidad and Tobago in 2008 – Warnock currently has the shortest England career on record and did not seem likely to increase that tally in South Africa given Leighton Baines featured against Mexico and in the friendly against Egypt in March.

ASTON Villa left-back Stephen Warnock is a surprise inclusion in England’s provisional World Cup squad after Fabio Capello announced his initial 30-man party.

Claret and blue striker Emile Heskey and Villa’s man of the moment James Milner have also been called up along with former Birmingham loan keeper Joe Hart.

But there is no place for Villa trio Stewart Downing, Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor who had also harboured hopes of representing the Three Lions in South Africa.

Villa boss Martin O’Neill confirmed that Warnock would be fit enough to take his place in the squad despite limping out of Sunday’s last day defeat to Blackburn with an ankle injury.

Capello will cut the squad down to a final 23 after England complete a training camp in Austria and friendlies against Mexico (Wembley) and Japan (Graz) later this month.

STEPHEN Warnock has reminded Villa’s final day opponents Blackburn what they are missing by hailing fellow Rovers old-boy Brad Friedel. Warnock and Friedel will be hoping to end the Premier League season with a win when their former club visit Villa Park for the last game on Sunday.

And ahead of the match against Sam Allardyce’s mid-table team, the popular defender has paid a glowing tribute to the evergreen goalkeeper. Warnock reveals that, even at the grand age of 38, Friedel is in peak condition and still strives to improve in training every day.

Friedel is a Premier League ever-present this season and he is set to take his record run of consecutive top-flight games to 228 against Rovers.

Warnock puts the longevity of Villa’s elder statesman down to the professional way Friedel looks after himself and lives his life away from the pitch.

Defender Stephen Warnock has warned Manchester City that away-day specialists Villa have the ammunition to triumph in Saturday’s top-four face-off. Fifth-placed Villa head into this weekend’s do-or-die clash at Eastlands boasting the second-best away record in the Premier League behind Manchester United, after winning their last three games on the road.

Strikers Gabby Agbonlahor and John Carew have both recently enjoyed rich veins of form, while midfielders James Milner and Ashley Young have bagged over 20 goals between them.

And Warnock reckons Villa’s “matchwinners” can outgun sixth-placed City, who trail them by two points having played a game less, and keep Villa’s Champions League alive going into next Sunday’s final round of games. He said: “The game at Eastlands will be vital. I think it will go down to the wire on the very last day and it will be very closely run.

“Hopefully we’ll still be in there fighting. It’s fascinating for the neutrals. We’ve got players who are capable of causing problems. We’ve got loads of match-winners that are capable of winning games for us so we know that we’re a good team. “The pressure is on all of us. It’s what we all want and that we’re all trying to get. City have lost one to United and it’s put us straight back into it, which just shows the run we’ve put together.

Villa defender Stephen Warnock today declared himself fit for derby-day combat – and called for calm heads in the white-hot atmosphere which awaits on Sunday.

The left-back had emerged as a doubt for this weekend’s eagerly-anticipated Birmingham clash after soldiering through Wednesday’s win at Hull with an ankle problem.

But he has handed Martin O’Neill’s top-four hopefuls a major boost by confirming he is primed for battle.

“I’m fine, I took a couple of whacks but nothing out of the ordinary so I’m fit and ready,” said Warnock.

“I’ve got a black eye because I got an elbow to the face and I got a kick on the ankle but it’s not a problem at all. It’s just part and parcel of the game and you’ve just got to get on with it.”