Angel: I would have quit

Juan Pablo Angel has revealed how close he came to leaving Aston Villa.

The Colombian played a bit-part role during last season's difficult campaign and believes he would have quit the club if nothing had changed over the summer.

"It's fair to say I would not have stayed under the previous manager," he told Villa's official website.

"There have been so many changes in the past few weeks, but at the beginning of the summer I didn't see myself carrying on for another season like I had last year."

Following Martin O'Neill's appointment as manager and with a takeover looming, Angel is excited by the new direction the club is taking.

He is looking forward to the season with a new sense of optimism and is hoping to re-establish himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.

"I want to be considered again. The fight is on with five strikers competing for one or two places, but I'm ready for it and hopefully this is a new start for everyone. My first target is to get into the team," he said.

"It's going to be a special season. Last season wasn't good enough for anyone at the club and the fact that these changes have happened over the last few weeks, makes it a little bit more interesting.

"I think there's a lot of expectation because of the new manager and talk of new owners.

"There are a lot of positive things around and hopefully we can translate these onto the football field."

Villa face the formidable task of opening their Premiership season against Arsenal at The Emirates Stadium, but Angel is viewing the clash as a fantastic opportunity to build some confidence.

"Arsenal is a very tough start. The manager hasn't had enough time to work with the group but we've got to face it, deal with it and come back to Birmingham with a good result," he urged.