Aston Villa midfielder Ashley young has praised Gerrard Houllier for bringing Darren bent to Aston Villa. Even though Bent did not score at the DW Stadium, his second game for the club, Young did and insisted that his team-mate has injected much-needed positivity into the team. “Darren hasn’t just taken weight off my shoulders, he has boosted everyone,” Young said.

“He is a quality signing and has shown in the first two games how well he can do for us. Darren is a great addition to the squad as well as Jean Makoun. The manager knew who he wanted to bring in in the window and he has done superb.

“It is always great to see players added to the squad. They have been great signings. Everybody knows Darren’s attributes and he has done well at all his previous clubs. I am sure he is delighted to be at Villa and we are delighted to have him. He has settled in really well. It feels like he has been here a long while.