Aston Villa midfielder Craig Gardner admits he's desperate to play in the UEFA Cup this season.

He told the club's website: "We've had a taste of European football so now we're even more desperate to have a run in the UEFA Cup this season. You can see the fans are really up for it and so are the players.

"As a player you desperately want to play in Europe and test yourself against some of the best players around. I've played abroad for the Under-21s and I want to experience that more and more with Villa."