Chris Herd

LATEST NEWS

Chris Herd is currently injured.

No timeframe has been set for his return.

WHAT HE SAID

I am relishing the competition. There's Karim, Fabian, Barry and Gaz as well as myself. It doesn't matter how old you are, it doesn't matter what level you play at, competition is great in football.

Everyone is playing for their position. It's good to hear that if you're doing well in training,  the gaffer will give you a chance.

I took cricket quite seriously and I played a lot in the off-season. But it was never really a difficult choice because I always knew it was going to be football for me.

Coming through the ranks the fans have been great for me, both home and away - and I really appreciate it.

WHAT OTHERS SAID

Stephen Warnock: Chris is a great player. He is comfortable on the ball in central midfield. He wins it back really well. He's looked comfortable doing his job. The challenge now is to consistently do it over the season.

MINI PROFILE

Chris Herd has been Villa's Mr Versatile since breaking into the first team set-up.

The tenacious Aussie has lined up at right-back, in the centre of defence and in central midfield during his time in claret and blue.

The 2011-12 campaign proved to be a big one for the man from Perth, Western Australia.

He featured in 20 games in all competitions, as well as scoring his first goal for the club.

That strike was particularly memorable - a superb curling effort in front of the Kop as Villa earned a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.

By then Herd had become a regular in the central midfield - despite beginning the campaign with a man-of-the-match performance as a right-back in a goalless draw against Wolves.

Herd also holds the dubious distinction of winning a man-of-the-match despite being sent off 36 minutes into a game.

He controversially saw red against West Bromwich Albion at Villa Park in October 2011 but his red card was subsequently rescinded.

Herd's initial first team breakthrough came in 2010-11 with a string of substitute appearances under Gerard Houllier.

In the same season, he achieved the extraordinary feat of scoring a hat-trick from right-back as the reserves demolished Arsenal 10-1 at Hinckley.

But a first team spot remained Herd's number one target and his first start eventually came in a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup.

It is fair to see Villa's coaching staff have been bowled over by Villa's talented all-rounder, who chose football over cricket at a young age.

Herd was a swashbuckling bastman in his youth but opted to pursue football when he joined Western Australia-based Bayswater City.

Villa's academy signed Herd and fellow Aussie Shane Lowry in 2005 and the pair enjoyed great success in the youth ranks.

Herd featured in three-straight Reserve League South title triumphs and a victory at the 2007 Hong Kong International Soccer Sevens.

The utility man also had three loan spells away from Villa - at Port Vale, Wycombe Wanderers and Lincoln City.

INTERESTING FACT

Chris Herd joined Villa on the same day as Shane Lowry as the pair signed from Bayswater in Australia.