Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given felt his defence was more stable on Saturday for their draw with West Bromwich Albion.

It was no coincidence that Richard Dunne was back after recovering from a broken collarbone.

Given said: "It was amazing to have Richard Dunne back in the side. He had only trained a couple of times. For him to play was beyond the call of duty. His performance against Albion showed how immense Richard is for the football club.

"He is a leader on the pitch and in the dressing room. Even just seeing him with the captain's armband on gave everyone a huge lift before the game.

"We are delighted to have him back. It has been a long time since he played and his performance was immense. The headers he got out of the box were crucial and he was also a real leader on the pitch."