Source: SKY_Sports
Petrov hoping for progress
Stiliyan Petrov is hoping Aston Villa build on their success last season by making even more progress this time around.
Martin O'Neill's side were one of the surprise packages in the 2008/09 campaign and were at one stage challenging for honours on every front.
Villa's hectic fixture list eventually caught up with O'Neill's relatively small squad, although they finished a respective sixth in the table.
"This club wants to move forward every single year. I hope next season will be even more successful than the one just gone," Petrov told the club's official website.
"We want to win silverware - some trophies - that's our aim. It's going to be a big season for us all.
Up for the challenge
"Other clubs know we are a good team, with lots of promise, and will expect even more from us. We need to be up for that challenge."
Petrov has also revealed his admiration for Villa's younger first-team players, insisting they will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.
He added: "We have some really promising stars of the future. They will gel and get better and better in the next few seasons. That is what is promising for this club and I want to be part of that.
"Quite a few of the lads are 22, 23, 24-years-old. They want to learn and improve and want to be known as good players and achieve something. It's great we have players like that here.
"The manager wants to strengthen too and make the team better next season. That gives me a lot of hope and the fans too."
Learn from experience
Meanwhile, Petrov's team-mate Emile Heskey has echoed the midfielder's sentiments, saying Villa will improve next season as the squad's younger players learn from last season's experiences.
The former Wigan, Birmingham and Liverpool hit-man knows the likes of Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and James Milner will only get better with time.
"We have some young lads in the squad - the likes of Gabby, Ashley and James - and they will have gained a lot of experience from this campaign," said Heskey.
"We have been pushing the big clubs and even though the chance of fourth didn't materialise for us - it will mean they have that experience in the locker in the coming seasons.
"If we get in this position again, they will have the knowhow and the experience that is so, so important.
"You have to respect they are still young and they are still learning the game - they certainly have time on their sides."
