O'Neill aims for Europe
27 Oct 2006 - 14:08:24
Martin O'Neill has revealed he wants to secure regular European football for Aston Villa.
Under the tenure of the former Celtic manager, Villa are virtually unrecognisable from the side that struggled to avoid relegation last season and are the only undefeated team in the Premiership this season.
But despite the Midlands club currently occupying seventh place in the Premiership table, O'Neill is setting his sights much higher.
"I am delighted. There is no point hiding or denying it. It has been a terrific start from the team over the past three months," he said.
"Outsiders will always say Aston Villa is a big club and the aspiration is to try and get to where the team was in 1981-1982 when they were fantastic.
"I remember all of us from Forest being pleased for Peter Withe after he scored the winning goal in the European Cup final.
"There are some major clubs in European football who have never won the European Cup and who may not in the next century get remotely close to it.
"We may be one of them but at least we have got that history of having won it before - and that's what we want to aspire to again.
"We may never get there. We may fell short by a million light years but it is worth trying for."
