O'Neill backs Davis to be a hit

Martin O'Neill has told forgotten man Steven Davis "You can still be a Premiership regular with Villa".

The Villa boss has preferred £6.5m signing Stiliyan Petrov as his attacking midfield option alongside Gavin McCann since his arrival from Celtic.

That has relegated last season's golden boy Davis to the sidelines and the Northern Ireland international has started just one game this year, against Chelsea on January 2.

But O'Neill has seen it all before and related his own experience as a young Nottingham Forest player in the early 1970s as a prime example and believes Davis will re-emerge just as good as last season, when he was named Player of the Year.

"Steven definitely has the ability to play regularly in the side and get back to what's he capable of doing and I'm sure he knows that himself," said O'Neill.

"It's a learning process. Take my own example many years ago.

"I came into the Nottingham Forest side many years ago and scored goals in the big division in a side that was struggling.

"I enjoyed it and the old comment came out about 'if he's doing well in a struggling side, imagine how much easier it would be in a good side.'

"It doesn't work like that. Sometimes it's harder. It's sometimes more difficult to play in a side full of quality and sometimes it's easier to stand out in a team that is struggling if you're playing well.

"The next season proved very difficult for me - very difficult because I felt I'd achieved something and didn't want to let anything go by.

"It wasn't through lack of trying. Something doesn't happen for you and the next minute you've gone three, four, five games without making a marked contribution and then someone's taken your place."

O'Neill stressed he was always willing to listen and help players, such as Davis, who has struggled to recapture last season's form.