Carlos still looks for clues to Houllier snub

Carlos Cuellar is still searching for answers – and desperate to make up for lost time.

The Spanish defender made 16 appearances for Villa last season under Gerard Houllier having played 48 games during the previous campaign.

Cuellar is still at a loss as to why the Frenchman never quite took to him after talking about him in glowing terms early on in his tenure.

In fact Cuellar admitted ahead of Villa's game against Fulham that he has been psychologically scarred by Houllier's treatment of him which left him stressed and resulted in sleepless nights.

"He (Houllier) said in the newspaper 'you are Villa's Jamie Carragher'. He's one of the best defenders, he's the best, that's what he told me and then I didn't play," said Cuellar.

"I don't understand that. You've got the best player for you but you still don't play him?

"When you are not playing, it's frustrating. And when you're playing it's happy, But I've got good memories, and bad memories too.

"I have bad memories of last year here with Houllier because the situation was really hard for me because I didn't play."

Cuellar was not axed from the first team like fellow defender Stephen Warnock and midfielder Stephen Ireland who were completely frozen out by Houllier.

But the 30-year-old centre-back revealed Houllier's behaviour left him confused and he got mixed messages whenever he had a face-to-face chat with the former Liverpool boss.

"I had injuries last year, but nothing major that stopped the manager from playing me," explained Cuellar.

"I think the injury I got was like a stress injury, because it's hard when the manager tells you are the best defender, I want you to play and then in the next game drops you to the bench.

"Psychologically you think 'there's something wrong with me'. When I tried to find out why with the manager, he said 'I've got confidence in you, you are the best, even though you're not playing'.

"You turn crazy, you don't sleep well, you get the stress and you get the small injuries"

It has taken Cuellar a bit of time to convince Alex McLeish of his qualities after recovering from a knee operation and it appeared at one point he might be sold back to former club Rangers only for the move to collapse.

However, Eck has been won over by Cuellar's versatility, attitude and commitment which could result in player dubbed King Carlos by the claret and blue faithful being offered a new contract with his current deal set to expire in the summer.

"To get an injury at the end of last season was bad, because I didn't get the same opportunity as the other players did to impress the new manager last pre-season," added Cuellar, who joined Villa for £7.8m from the Glasgow giants in August 2008.

"But when I got fit and saw the new manager and he gave me confidence and played me, and then I was happy again. That makes you stronger, it gets you to fight even harder to try and play show the people you are able and good enough to play here.

"I've always said before that I am always happy just to play. I don't care the position."

The Spaniard caught the eye with a dazzling bit of skill against Blackburn last weekend as he dribbled from his own half and set up Charles N'Zogbia to score.

"My team-mates have been calling me Paulo Maldini! But ever since I was young in Spain and have always tried to be good with the ball," added Cuellar.