Hendrie has Villa future
30 Dec 2006 - 13:18:07
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has hinted that out-of-favour midfielder Lee Hendrie does still have a future at Villa Park.
The 28-year-old had struggled to break into the first-team under O'Neill since his appointment in the summer and has spent the last three months on loan with Championship outfit Stoke City.
Hendrie's loan stay at the Britannia Stadium ends on Saturday and O'Neill is keen to sit down with the former Villa trainee and discuss his future.
"Lee's three-month loan period is up after this Saturday. We will be assessing every situation after the weekend. There will be a decision by the time we play on Saturday week," promised O'Neill.
"What you can do is you can extend the loan, but it does not allow any recall and it would then go on until the end of the season. I will assess things during the next week.
"Lee and I will sit down. Lee has been a Villa man all his life and this is where his heart is. I am quite sure Lee would want to come back."