USA international goalkeeper Brad Guzan is delighted with his first season at Aston Villa. "When you are on the outside looking in you expect to be the best players in the world and you expect the best football," he told the club's official website.

"It's everything I expected and more. Seeing it from the outside first hand it's exciting for me. To be a part of this league and this club, it's huge.

"It's exciting week in, week out seeing the atmosphere created around the country about the game of football, especially coming from a country where it is not necessarily one of the top three sports."

After four seasons playing in the MLS with Chicago Fire and Chivas, where he was named MLS goalkeeper of the year in 2007, Guzan admits that nothing beats the feeling of playing in front of capacity crowds in England.

"In the US you might have a game here and there where you have 20,000 to 25,000 at the most. Here it is 40,000 every week," he highlighted.

"That is what is special about it - the passion the fans bring and the atmosphere they create for us.

"It really gives you that extra boost. You almost get the chills and the goose bumps when you walk out there and feel the electricity that is being created."