Mellberg wants to leave on a high

Italian-bound defender targets Euro finish at Villa

By Chris Burton   Last updated: 27th March 2008

Mellberg wants to leave on a high

Mellberg: Spent best years with Villa

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Olof Mellberg is hoping that he can help Aston Villa into Europe before he leaves for Juventus.

The Swedish defender admits that his time at Villa Park has been the happiest of his career and he would like nothing more than to leave a successful side behind him when he heads for Turin this summer.

Mellberg has spent seven years with the Birmingham-based club and acknowledges that it will be difficult to accept that his time in England has come to an end once the current campaign reaches its climax in May.

Great time

"It would be nice to finish on a high and qualify for Europe and for the club to take another step next season," he said.

"It will be (hard to leave). I've had a great time, my best footballing years, and made many friends.

"I feel a lot for the club and for the fans and people within the club as well. It's been a great time."

Bright future

Villa currently sit seventh in the Premier League, but with only the side finishing in fifth place and the FA Cup winners now guaranteed a Uefa Cup spot for next season Mellberg accepts that Martin O'Neill's side are now battling it out for an Intertoto Cup berth.

"There's quite a gap now up to the fifth spot," he said.

"But we're still challenging for the Intertoto with Man City and Portsmouth so you still have a chance to qualify for Europe.

"We've got good young talented players as well who are doing well so I think the future is bright."

Great opportunity

Mellberg had been consistently linked with a move to Serie A giants Juventus throughout the first-half of the season, and admits that the possibility to play UEFA Champions League football in the future proved too good to turn down.

"I thought it was the right time (to move)," said the former Villa captain.

"You never know but it felt like the right time.

"They came along and they've been interested in me for quite some time and they've followed me both with the national team and Villa.

"They've got a great manager (Claudio Ranieri) and it's also one of the biggest clubs in the world so it was an opportunity that was right to take.

"I am following them all the time now, I'm watching on TV all the games. They're doing well at the moment. It's important that we qualify for the Champions League and we're up there challenging."