Aston Villa new-boy Grant Holt ready to prove doubters wrong

The Villa new-boy arrives with little fanfare but with a lot to prove after answering Paul Lambert's call to arms. Holt is primed for a debut at Liverpool tomorrow after his surprise arrival on a season-long loan from Wigan.

Even Villa manager Lambert admitted the move had come "out of the blue" after he turned to one of his most trusted past lieutenants.

The pair helped Norwich from League One to the Premier League as Holt captained Lambert's Canaries during three years of stunning success.

The striker was written off when Norwich were promoted in 2011 before scoring 15 top-flight goals and the former tyre fitter from Carlisle is ready to shock again.

"I've been quite fortunate in that when I get doubted I usually turn it round and shove it," he said.

"I'm sure a lot of people who have seen the move have said 'he won't do that' and 'what are they doing that for?'

"That's probably a lot of Villa fans too, half have said that and half are probably excited about it. That's just football. Everyone has got an opinion and it's the easiest thing in the world to sit around and have an opinion. It's up to me to prove that opinion wrong.

"It's an opportunity I'm going to take with two hands. We know how difficult it is as a league to get goals and games but I think I can do it."

Lambert was hunting experience and forward cover after Libor Kozak was ruled out for the season with a broken leg.

And Holt insisted his know-how will help an inexperienced dressing room to stay out of relegation trouble.

He said: "One of the aims is to help them along. Everyone talks to the young lads but sometimes you do need that person to talk to. That's what I will do. He (Lambert) didn't come into Norwich and make me captain for no reason. I'm sure he realises what I did there and hopefully I can come in and give them a bit of experience.

"They are a good bunch of lads and if they grow as a football club and group of players they'll be fine."

Holt's loan highlights the cutbacks Villa have made since signing Darren Bent from Sunderland for £24m exactly three years ago tomorrow.

Bent is now on loan himself at Fulham with other top earners shipped out to ease the wage bill.

And, after six defeats in their last eight games, Villa have come under fire for the lack of discernible improvement in Lambert's long-term vision.

They sit five points above the Premier League drop zone but joint 10th in a congested table after Monday's 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.

But Holt, 32, has backed Villa and Lambert's plan and insisted they can make it work.

He said: "It's hard to say it's a sign of where the club's going. They've spent £24m and it didn't really work. At some point you've got to strip it back and you've got to do it the right way. That's what they're trying to do at this football club, they're trying to get young lads in who are hungry.

"They might not be doing it on massive money, but they're trying to build it properly and trying to get the football club back to where it was in the right way.

"It's not just a case of the chairman coming out and chucking millions and millions, it just doesn't work all the time.

"There have been clubs in the Premier League who have gone down and never ever recovered. I think that's what you've got to be careful about."

New loan signing Ryan Bertrand is available after joining from Chelsea but Nathan Baker is out after suffering concussion against Arsenal and Chris Herd and Joe Bennett are still not fit.

Liverpool are sweating on Mamadou Sakho's fitness after a hamstring injury but fit-again Daniel Sturridge may have to settle for a place on the bench despite a scoring return in the 5-3 win at Stoke on Sunday. Joe Allen is fit again after an abductor injury.