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• Aaron Hughes

Martin O'Neill has challenged Aaron Hughes to be consistent for the entire season after hailing the Aston Villa defender's 'fantastic attitude'.

The full-back has not featured in the Villa side for the past month after the arrival of Phil Bardsley on loan from Manchester United.

He has vowed to fight for his place in O'Neill's plans after starting the season as first choice under his fellow Ulsterman.

O'Neill has explained the options now available to him have led to Hughes' recent omission, but he has praised the defender's response to being left out.

"What has happened is we started off in August and the side, after a week or two, was effectively picking itself," said O'Neill.

"We didn't have many choices and, during the last two months when we were running out of steam, we were at our weakest and even filling the substitutes' bench was a problem.

"Now we've added a couple of players in January and those players with longer-term injuries like Martin Laursen and Luke Moore are coming back.

"We have had a cleaner bill of health than for a long time and there is competition for places which is no bad thing to have.

"But Aaron Hughes' attitude has been fantastic. That fantastic attitude has stood him in good stead throughout his career, never mind anything else.

"Nothing fazes him. We had words in the sense of he would like to play a bit better than recently.

"At the start of the season, I thought Aaron was terrific, but it's a long, long season for any player to keep a consistency going.

"But those are the things you are looking for, if you are going to try and improve."