The centre-back has had an injury-hit first season at Villa Park and although he has recently returned to the starting lineup, he is still not 100 per cent fit after six months out with a knee injury. “It’s not perfect but I am getting along all right,” he said, casting narrow-eyed glances to Mark Delaney and Jlloyd Samuel. “I’ll not play any games with the national team this summer. Instead, I’ll prepare and rest for next season and hopefully I’ll get through the year without any more injuries.”
Fans of Southampton and Real Madrid will recognise such proclamations as more than slightly reminiscent of Marian Parhars and Jonathan Woodgate, but fortunately Villa’s great Dane refuse to succumb to the customary spiel. “It has been difficult because it’s my first season at a new club in a different country,” the former AC Milan defender continued as a nearby record began to stick. “The supporters have been brilliant though - even when I was injured they have always been behind me. They have been nice to me and I’m just doing my best to give something back to them.”
Elsewhere on the international circuit, Darius Vassell will also have more time to prepare for next season after failing to make the England squad for the trip to the US. This 24-year-old striker has found himself edged out of the reckoning by former strike partner and part-time south coast flag pole, Peter Crouch - a slight akin to being told you have not been given a modelling contract, the agency have decided to give it to Ronaldino instead.