Aston Villa: Steve Sidwell sideshow too quick for O'Neill to see

Dec 7 2009 by Lisa Smith, Birmingham Mail

MARTIN O’Neill was full of praise for Villa’s 12th man Steve Sidwell at the final whistle after the midfielder played a vital hand in his side’s second goal of the afternoon – without even stripping out of his substitute’s tracksuit!

Quick-thinking Sidwell was warming up on the sidelines when hapless Hull City keeper Matt Duke sent the ball out of play.

Sidwell immediately threw it to team-mate Gabby Agbonlahor who found James Milner perfectly placed to chest it down before launching a sublime lob into the empty net.

O’Neill quipped: “Steve did have an assist in the goal – he is claiming it anyway!

“It was really good thinking on his behalf.”

The Villa boss admits it all happened so quickly he had not seen the incident at first – together with the majority of the Hull defence.

“I hadn’t seen it previously myself and I was wondering how the ball got on to the pitch so quickly after that,” O’Neill confessed.

Sidwell has lost his place in the side in recent games with the arrival of Stewart Downing from injury and with Milner taking up that all-important central midfield role.

But O’Neill is still a major fan of the flame-haired former Chelsea man.

“Steve is always enthusiastic and plays with a great deal of enthusiasm,” the Villa boss said.

“He has been left out for the last couple of games but he will return. He will be back in.”