Nigel Reo-Coker happy to keep getting stuck in at Aston Villa

Dec 24 2007 By Bill Howell

NIGEL Reo-Coker has warned Chelsea he is not about to bow to reputations and is willing to "bleed for Aston Villa" as they go searching for an unlikely league double over the Londoners.

Reo-Coker earned his sixth booking of the season against Manchester City, having already been sent off against Manchester United, but will carry on regardless on Boxing Day at Stamford Bridge.

"There's no chance that I'm going to change," he said. "I've always been an aggressive player, that's just the way I am. But the game has changed over the past couple of years.

"I would never condone dirty challenges, but there was a time not so long ago when you could make a genuine attempt to win the ball and referees would be fairly lenient.

"After all, football is a physical game, but it's changing so much. Now, you can pick up cautions for silly little challenges. The game doesn't flow as well as it used to."

The former England Under-21 star and West Ham skipper still feels aggrieved after his red card against United, the first of his career.

"I was devastated," he said. "It was a new experience for me. I apologised to my team-mates for letting them down and hopefully it will never happen again."

Reo-Coker insists it will be business as usual for him as Villa set about trying to keep their superb away record in 2007, with just one defeat since February.

He added: "I don't raise my game just because it's a big team. I respect everyone that plays in the Premier League. They've earned the right to be there.

"It's about me going out there to really stamp my authority on the game, concentrating on my individual game and then collectively trying to help the team.

"I'm the sort of player who wears his heart on his sleeve."

He says Villa, who go into the game in eighth place, can finish in the European shake-up.

"We're in a good position," said Reo-Coker. "We're in contact with the top clubs and it's now important that we have a good run over Christmas so that we can kick on in the New Year.

"I still believe we can achieve a top-six finish. We have some very talented players."