Aston Villa midfielder Barry Bannan is convinced his game will improve working with two European Cup winners.

Bannan worked under one of Villa's 1982 heroes Gordon Cowans during his formative years in the club's youth ranks.

Now he is relishing the prospect of learning from new boss Paul Lambert, who won European football's biggest prize with Borussia Dortmund in 1997.

"There's the gaffer and Sid Cowans who have won the European Cup so for a midfielder like me I'm only going to learn from these people," Bannan told Villa's website.

"I remember the gaffer as a hard working player, but he could play as well.

"He obviously won a European Cup winners medal with Dortmund and they were a great footballing team then so I wouldn't just say he was the grafter.

"At CelticNeil Lennon did the graft and Paul Lambert and Stan Petrov were the footballers."