Aston Villa winger Marc Albrighton admits he grew up wanting to be a striker like Dean Saunders.

Albrighton's wing play has earned him a new contract and England U19 caps this season.

But he admitted to avfc.co.uk: "Dean was my hero as a lad. I just loved watching him play. When I was about 16 I was playing up front and I wasn't really growing much and I was coming up against some massive centre-halves.

"That's probably the main reason I changed position. I went and played wide and I was enjoying it. I was doing well.

"I had a good season that time around and the coaches thought they might have a wide player on their hands rather than a striker.

"I can still play up front and I can play on either flank. It's nice to have that versatility because I'm an option for different positions."