Express & Star

Martin O’Neill believes Villa winger Ashley Young is the most fouled player in the Premier League.

Dangerman Young, who is  in the England squad to face France next Wednesday, has been victim to some of the closest marking of any Villa player this season.

But boss O’Neill angrily refutes claims the £8m winger tries to win free kicks through “simulation”.

“I don’t agree at all with the assertion that Ashley Young falls down too often,” said the Villa chief.

“That makes me laugh – a week last Wednesday (against Middlesbrough) Robert Huth caught him and he somersaulted up in the air and came down and Huth motioned as if Ashley had dived.

“But you see it in slow motion and he almost took his kneecap off.

“Because he’s lightning quick and he goes past people, maybe it looks that way, but if Sir Alex Ferguson says Cristiano Ronaldo is the most fouled player in the Premier League, then Young must be right up there with him.

“He must have been fouled about nine times at Portsmouth.”