Steven Davis has shown Aston Villa players the way, says Gabriel Agbonlahor

May 14 2008 By Bill Howell

GABRIEL Agbonlahor says Villa must take heart from Steven Davis's remarkable transition at Rangers as the Northern Ireland international bids for UEFA Cup glory this evening.

The pair came through the ranks together at Villa Park although Davis, at 23, is almost two years Agbonlahor's senior.

Davis has gone from bit-part player at both villa, last season, and Fulham at the beginning of this, to become a huge part of the Ibrox success story North of the border.

Rangers face Zenit St Petersburg at City of Manchester Stadium in the UEFA Cup Final with Villa having their own ambitions of breaking into the competition next year via the InterToto Cup.

Agbonlahor believes they could follow Davis's lead and thrive. He said: "Steven struggled to get a game here towards the end so if we could break into it (UEFA Cup), we would have a good chance of going far.

"Because we're not used to it, it will be tough but I think we've got the players to do it.

"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."

Agbonlahor, just like his manager Martin O'Neill, knows that Villa must add a heap of players in order to compete on two fronts.

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