Aston Villa striker Nathan Delfouneso is convinced the club's young players can provide the backbone for manager Martin O'Neill's future teams.

Delfouneso believes he and his fellow Bodymoor Heath graduates can follow in the first-team footsteps of his Brummie predecessor Gabby Agbonlahor.

"There's a lot of youngsters in and around the fringes of the team, so it seems like he's looking at everyone," he told the Birmingham Mail.

"Hopefully I can impress more and play more.

"People like Gabby have come through the academy and done well, so it's got to be the aim of all of us young boys to follow what he's done."