Gabriel Agbonlahor

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Gabby Agbonlahor was Villa's hero in last weekend's brilliant win over Norwich.

He scored both goals in the 2-1 success at Carrow Road - including a dramatic last-minute winner.

WHAT HE SAID

I think other clubs know how much I love playing for Villa. I don't think there's ever been a bid in for me. They know that this is the club I want to stay at and it's somewhere it would be hard to get me to leave.

WHAT OTHERS SAID

Paul Lambert: I think Gabby has been excellent. He's been in excellent form. Look at his goal against Swindon. It was top drawer, world-class. Strikers judge themselves on goals but there is a lot more to Gabby's game that just that. His work-rate is phenomenal and the way he is playing at the moment is excellent.

Bryan Jones: Gabby Agbonlahor is a great example of what the club's academy players can achieve and I'll never forget his performance in the 2006 Sevens. His work-rate, desire and ability to create space in such intense heat were simply unbelievable.

Martin Laursen: Gabby has always been quick but he has developed that physical strength that is needed against these big Premier League defenders. Obviously he has improved technically too. He can hold the ball up really well and part of that is because he is stronger.

MINI PROFILE

Gabby Agbonlahor got Villa off to a flying start in 2011-12.

A spectacular curling effort from the edge of the box set the boys in claret and blue on the way to a 3-1 win over Blackburn in the first home game of the campaign.

Then, 10 days later, he netted a leveller at Everton to secure a 2-2 draw.

In fact, the forward was flying in the first half of the season.

A strike against Newcastle made it three goals in three games, while in October he scored one and set up another in a man-of-the- match display against Wigan.

Ironically, his best performance came against Paul Lambert's Norwich City.

Agbonlahor was unplayable on that November afternoon, scoring one and setting up two for Darren Bent as Villa won 3-2.

His only other goal last term came against Bristol Rovers in the third round of the FA Cup.

Agbonlahor joined Villa as a boy and made his way through the ranks, making a name for himself as a prolific scorer - including 40 in one season for the youth team - before being handed his debut by David O'Leary in March 2006.

Villa were struggling at the time and were on the receiving end of a 4-1 drubbing by Everton, although the Goodison Park gloom was lifted somewhat by a stunning goal from the debut boy.

Agbonlahor made two more starting appearances that season before really making his presence felt during Martin O'Neill's first campaign in charge.

Named in the opening day line-up against Arsenal at the new Emirates Stadium, he started all but one of the club's 42 league and cup matches - and went on as a substitute in the other.

He ultimately played all but 93 minutes of Villa's season, and justified his faith by finishing the campaign as top scorer with 10 goals, nine in the Premier League and one in the League Cup at Leicester City.

The following season he was missing from the starting line-up just once, and the goals kept coming.

This time he finished with 11, all in the league, and was named Barclays Player of the Month for November as well as breaking into Fabio Capello's England squad.

And still there was better to come.

On the opening day of 2008-09, he hit a hat-trick in eight minutes as Villa beat Manchester City 4-2.

It was the first hat-trick of the season, the fastest since Robbie Fowler's for Liverpool against Arsenal in 1994 - and the first Villa opening-day hat-trick since Pongo Waring hit four against Manchester United in 1930.

Agbonlahor finished with 13 goals, and his impressive form earned the former U21 international his first full cap against Germany in Berlin in November 2008.

Agbonlahor maintained his impressive scoring form in 2009-10, hitting a personal best 16, and was on target in five consecutive games in August and September.

The 2010-11 season was a frustrating one for the man from Erdington, but it still contained some memorable moments.

The striker struggled with niggling injuries throughout the campaign and he had to wait until the win at Wigan in January to register his first top-flight goal.

But he still managed to continue his knack of scoring in local derbies with a strike against Birmingham City in the League Cup.

He also celebrated his 200th appearance for Villa in a top-flight Second City derby clash at St Andrew's.

In April, Agbonlahor scored a crucial injury time winner at West Ham - the result virtually securing Villa's Premier League safety.

INTERESTING FACT

Multiple Olympic champion Michael Johnson praised Gabby Agbonlahor for his epic speed when the athlete visited Bodymoor Heath in 2009.