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.”