Paul Lambert: Tom Cleverley ready for Villa

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has drawn a line under the deadline-day "mayhem" surrounding Tom Cleverley's on-off move.

With a £7million move having collapsed earlier in the day with the player holding out for a switch to Everton, a loan move for Cleverley was revived at the 11th hour after a deal between the Toffees and Manchester United failed to materialise.

It only came, however, after Cleverley had begged Lambert to make a fresh attempt to sign him and convinced him that he was not behind the previous snub.

Villa now have an option in January for a £7.5m deal to land Cleverley permanently before he becomes a free agent next summer.

Lambert, who could hand the England international his debut against Liverpool tomorrow, said: "I'm delighted he's here. All that speculation about not wanting to be here – that's not the impression I got when I spoke to him.

"Deadline day is mayhem, things are on and off – there's carnage breaking out everywhere. We knew exactly the situation.

"Tom went back to Manchester, that's the way football works, then all of a sudden it's back on.

"The lad never once indicated he didn't want to come. He's been professional about it all and he's here, that's the main thing."

And, with Villa sitting pretty in the Premier League table, Lambert believes there is nothing to fear as his side head to Merseyside.

Villa face an unenviable run of matches which begins at Anfield.

After Liverpool, they play Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton. The Villa boss, however, is undaunted.

"It was the same for us last season – we had Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in a week" explained the Scot. "You have to play them at one stage."