O'Neill enjoying Euro experience

Villa boss delighted to reach group stages

Last updated: 2nd October 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

O'Neill enjoying Euro experience

O'Neill: Pleased with performance

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Martin O'Neill hopes to create more European nights to remember in the history of Aston Villa after reaching the group stages of the Uefa Cup.

Villa were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw with Litex Lovech at Villa Park on Thursday, but still progressed after a convincing first leg victory.

And O'Neill was delighted with what he saw, despite Marlon Harewood's opener being cancelled out by a Wilfred Niflore penalty.

O'Neill said: "When we started out in the Intertoto Cup in July, we would have settled for being in this position and I am really pleased that we are through to the group stages.

"Villa Park has had some great European nights in the past and now we have got some more European evenings to look forward to, at least until Christmas.

"When I was at Nottingham Forest, you think European football will be there every season but then it goes away for four or five years.

"It is a while since Villa played in Europe but we have earned this chance and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

"This will be a great chance for the young players at the club to experience playing on this kind of stage."