Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish is delighted with the form this season of captain Stiliyan Petrov.

McLeish has hailed man of the moment Petrov as a calming influence who leads by example rather than with an iron fist.

He told AVTV: "Stiliyan is a guy who had led his country. He has an awful lot of experience and is an excellent captain.

"Some captains are vociferous, some point fingers and cajole and kick backsides but Stiliyan is more a player who plays with purpose and leads by example.

"However, saying that, he will say his piece when he needs to, which is important.

"We have a lot of experience in the dressing room and they could be captains too - Richard Dunne, James Collins and Stephen Warnock too is an experienced lad, although Stephen playing himself back into top form this season is probably enough responsibility for him and of course Shay Given.

"Stiliyan has pitched in with good goals and his experience has been vital for us in this period of transition."