Aston Villa summer signing Fabian Delph has been urged to be patient.

Delph, 19, a £6million summer signing from Leeds, has only started two League games for Villa this term.

And the unsettled youngster, competing for a central midfield berth with Stiliyan Petrov, Steve Sidwell and Nigel Reo-Coker, is concerned.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill said: "Fabian's biggest and most immediate problem is that he has come to a Premier League side and he is not playing every week.

"He has moved up to the top-flight with a team naturally having more squad rotation. At Leeds he was used to playing and he played a lot.

"He is not getting that match fitness every single week now but that is something he will have to become accustomed to for a while.

"Fabian has some very good players in front of him in positions he would want to play in and some experienced players too.

"I think that competition will stand him in good stead though.

"He has the natural ingredients to be a top-quality player and the inner determination too."