Nigel Reo-Coker says Aston Villa's success this season is down to their "English spirit".

"We have a great English spirit and we get on well with the few foreigners that we have in the team," said former England Under 21 skipper Reo-Coker. "It's the winning mentality and that's what Martin (O'Neill) has done well to embed in us. It's the fear of losing. It's about what you can achieve in this game.

"Every player in this squad, even the ones who are not involved, want to play and you see that on the training ground every day. We're mainly English so we're educated about what English football means.

"We knew what going to Gillingham in the FA Cup would mean. You can't take any opponent lightly - it's the passion of the English game, getting back to the grass roots."