Aston Villa Football Club News

• Nickname:The Villains
• Founded:1874
• Manager:Alex McLeish

• Ground:Villa Park
• Capacity:42,584

Villa snap up Young

23 Jan 2007 - 17:55:18

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Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has made his second major signing of the week after Watford striker Ashley Young penned a contract with the Midlands-based side.

The 21-year-old passed a medical on Tuesday and moves to Villa Park 24 hours after Lyon striker John Carew agreed to sign for O'Neill's side.

Young make his Hornets debut against Millwall in September 2003 but only became a first-team regular under boss Adrian Boothroyd last season as Watford won promotion from the Championship via the play-offs.

He scored 15 goals last season and has added four more this term, including a brace in the 3-3 draw with Fulham in early October.

Meanwhile, O'Neill has dismissed reports suggesting Carew will earn £57,000 a week at Villa Park.

Carew has signed a deal that will keep him at the club until June 2010 but O'Neill says reports about the Norwegian's wage demands are wide of the mark.

"That's complete and utter nonsense," he said. "He was on decent money at Lyon, which we obviously had to match, but that's the height of it and it's not remotely near the figure mentioned.

"We've not reached anything like those figures for anybody here and this report is utter drivel.

"Obviously wages can pay an important part, but the fact is that the player wanted to come here and we've not had to 'lure' him."