Villa can be European force

Gabby Agbonlahor believes Villa can be a force to be reckoned with in Europe next season – but only if Martin O'Neill strengthens significantly over the summer.

O'Neill is coming under increasing pressure to act in the transfer market and pacify restless supporters, who are still reeling from the impending departure of Gareth Barry to Liverpool.

The Villa skipper will become the sixth player to depart from what was already a wafer-thin squad.

With the club's Intertoto Cup tie against either Denmark's Odense, Finland's TPS Turku or Northern Ireland's Lisburn Distillery just five weeks away, O'Neill is in desperate need of fresh faces.

The two-legged tie is all that stands between Villa and a place in the UEFA Cup for the first time in seven years.

It would also represent Agbonlahor's first venture into Europe and would certainly do his chances of international recognition no harm, after he again missed out on a first England cap despite being part of Fabio Capello's squad which travelled to Trinidad.

He admits an influx of players will be required if Villa are to emulate the success enjoyed by ex-team-mate Steven Davis and his Rangers colleagues in the competition.

He said: "We would need more players but the gaffer knows that and I'm sure he will sort that out.

"Playing European football can only help us develop as players. We would be playing against teams from the big leagues.

"When you see teams such as Rangers getting to the final of the UEFA Cup, you think to yourself 'we can do that'.

"It's very important for us to get UEFA Cup football. Steven Davis is playing for Rangers and he struggled to get a game here, so if we could break into it, we would have a good chance of going far.

"Because we are not used to it, it will be tough, but I think we have got the players to do it."