ALEX McLeish has praised chairman Randy Lerner for “ridiculing” talk of scrapping relegation from the Premier League and adhering to Villa’s traditional values.

Lerner took the unusual step of issuing a statement earlier this week clarifying he was not one of the American owners supposedly wanting to make the top flight a closed shop.

It followed comments from League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan claiming some foreign chairmen were keen for the Premier League to be made up of the same 20 members season in, season out.

Ideas of scrapping relegation have not been discussed formally at Premier League level and, in any event, would require the backing of two-thirds of the clubs, which is extremely unlikely

But Lerner is a big believer in the competitive nature of English football and instantly distanced himself and the club from Bevan’s comments, which were made at the Professional Players’ Federation conference in London.

The American billionaire also emphasised Villa’s commitment to tradition by making reference to former club chairman William McGregor originally founding the Football League.

McLeish shares his chairman’s view that football clubs in the top flight should not go the same way as franchises in other overseas sports, which are protected from demotion. “I heard about it and I know that Randy Lerner has definitely ridiculed it,” said McLeish.