Burnley eyeing up Villa's Gary Gardner

On-loan Aston Villa midfielder Gary Gardner is catching the eye of newly-promoted Burnley.

Gardner, currently on a second loan spell at Nottingham Forest, has become a favourite at the City Ground with a number of long-range strikes cementing his status in the East Midlands.

Forest are keen to take the Birmingham-born 23-year-old on a permanent deal, but Burnley boss Sean Dyche and Championship promotion-chasing Brighton boss Chris Hughton are also believed to be interested.

Gardner is under contract at Villa Park for the next two years and much depends on the impending arrival of a new manager, with Nigel Pearson the odds-on favourite for the job.

However, Burnley could guarantee Premier League football for the talented Gardner, whose Villa career has been hit by injuries.

Meanwhile, emerging talent Kevin Toner admitted he was starstruck to meet Villa legend Paul McGrath.

The young Irish defender said: "We were training a couple of months ago and all of a sudden Paul McGrath walked over and start chatting to Sid (coach Gordon Cowans) on the side of the pitch.

"All of the lads were looking around at each other and tapping each other on the shoulder and whispering: 'That's Paul McGrath.'

"I know he's a Villa legend, a football legend – but he's Irish like me too so it meant even more to see him at Bodymoor Heath."