Winger hails Lambert support

Marc Albrighton has hailed Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert for helping him to stay focused in his bid to return from a broken metatarsal.

The highly-rated 22-year-old winger has just returned to full fitness following the foot injury which sidelined him for three months and wrecked his pre-season training schedule.
However, after marking his return with a substitute appearance in Villa's 4-2 Capital One Cup win over Manchester City on Tuesday, Albrighton insists it was Lambert's words of wisdom which helped him to concentrate on regaining his full fitness.
He told Express & Star: "The manager came up to me straightaway, the day after I did it, and said 'you've just got to get your head round it, you're going to be out for a while and you'll have up and down days but you just got to get sorted mentally and you'll be fine'.
"I've tried to do that. Obviously you do have your down days. You go in and all the lads have got a few days off, like on the international break and stuff like that and you're in on a bike just trying to get fit.
"It is hard work, but you've just got to see the bigger picture and it's paid off now and it's great to be back. It's a different kind of fitness I need now, though, because when you're out on the field you need to get sharp and I think I've lost my sharpness. Once that's back I'll be fine. I'll just keep training with the boys and my fitness will come."