Fabian Delph chose to play for Aston Villa in their draw with Fulham with his girlfriend in labour.

But an own goal and a glaring miss made him Villa's villain on the day.

Interviewed in the match programme, the 23-year-old Yorkshireman insisted that the football show must go on.

He said: "We have spoken about it and we know it's a possibility it could happen when one of the games is about to go on. But this is a crucial part of the season and if I'm down to play in the games, I need to be playing. [My girlfriend] Natalie is 100 per cent behind me."