Not many players can claim to have made their first team debut in Moscow, but Marc Albrighton will always be able to relate the tale with authority.

Having been on the subs bench on a couple of occasions, the 19-year-old was plunged into Villa's starting line-up for the second leg UEFA Cup clash against CSKA.

And despite a 2-0 defeat which ended the club's interest in the competition, he acquitted himself well at the Russian capital's imposing Luzhniki Stadium.

That should have come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Albrighton's progress through Villa's ranks.

A member of the team who reached the 2008 FA Youth Cup semi-finals, the tricky winger made the step into the reserves with no great difficulty, helping the second string to last season's FA Premier Reserve League South title and was a key figure in the play-off victory over northern champions Sunderland.

And all of this after he was rejected by neighbours West Bromwich Albion at an early age...