Aston Villa midfielder Karim El Ahmadi is convinced Yacouba Sylla can make a big impact in the Premier League.

El Ahmadi was impressed with Sylla's powerful presence on the training field and his brief cameo debut at Goodison Park.

He told Villa's website: "Yacouba is the sort of player we need in this situation. He's a strong guy and a good player. He's more than welcome.

"It will be good for the team to have that competition in central midfield. I think both new signings are players we need at this moment in time.

"I think Yacouba is a good player. I faced him directly in some tackles in training and you can see he is a good player.

"He's a strong guy too and that is something we need."