Martin O’Neill has revealed Marlon Harewood’s desire was so strong to come to Villa he took a pay cut.

Harewood became Villa’s second summer signing last week when he was snapped up for £4m from West Ham on a three-year contract.

He wasn’t the star attraction Villa fans were expecting after the club were linked with several big names through the summer including Craig Bellamy – who joined the Hammers – and Jermain Defoe.

But O’Neill is convinced in a summer of inflated transfer fees that Harewood will prove real value for money and is backing him to make an impact.

Harewood snubbed the chance of being No 1 striker at Wigan to battle for a place at Villa.

And as manager O’Neill reveals, it’s not the only area where the former Nottingham Forest forward has shown his desire to join Villa.

“Remarkably it was never a financial issue – in fact it was the opposite,” said the Villa boss.

“So that gives me good signs of encouragement. I asked him whether he’d spoken to Nigel Reo-Coker about coming and he hadn’t.

“But I think he’s seen Nigel sign and thought ‘why not?’”

Harewood boosts numbers at a time when O’Neill is seeking to sign four or five more players after allowing seven to leave in the last three months.

Only Harewood and Nigel Reo-Coker have arrived so far and as the boss acknowledges, reinforcements are needed to plug the gaps left by the departure of Juan Pablo Angel, Lee Hendrie, Jlloyd Samuel, Gavin McCann, Steven Davis and Aaron Hughes as well as the retirement of Chris Sutton.

O’Neill added: Marlon will get a chance to prove himself. You only have to look at the position we were in in November and December to see that.

“I’ve allowed some players to leave the club which we’ve got some money for and I’m using that to get Reo-Coker and Harewood in.

“But now I want to replenish and I think he could prove great value.”

O’Neill is convinced if Harewood returns to the form that saw him score 17 goals in 2005-06 in West Ham’s first season back in the Premiership – four of them were against Villa – then he’ll be good enough.

“The season before last he was on fire and did really well – even to Villa’s cost – and, like a number of players at West Ham perhaps lost his way a bit,” said the boss.

“Maybe like the others he lost a bit of confidence because the season they were expecting didn’t materialise.

“But if he gets back to that form then that would be good enough for us.”

O’Neill believes Harewood can still improve his game with a little more care.

“I know Marlon’s game pretty much inside out – he’s strong, aggressive and quick,” he said.

“Maybe with a bit of composure in front of goal he might be better, but he’ll argue 17 goals the season before was better than not too bad.

“The most encouraging aspect of it all was he wanted to come despite the competition for places and despite the fact we’re trying to strengthen.

“He’s not guaranteed a start but that really hasn’t worried him – he’s prepared to battle.

“I know I keep harking back to November and December but they were pretty tough times – we were looking at Premiership games away from home – and even at home – when we were struggling to fill the bench.

“Now I’m more optimistic and overall it’s very encouraging.”