Maloney To Kick On

Maloney has struggled to settle with constant links surrounding a return to Celtic, hardly helped I must admit by his own comments to the press at points!

O’Neill has remained confident throughout the period that Maloney had the skill and temperment to make a success of himself at Villa and it’s seemed that when his head has been right he has slowly been introduced more, and looked quite tasty in appearances to boot.

Speaking after the match, O’Neill said:

“It was a blinding free kick and he made a big contribution because he turned the game for us. It was absolutely exquisite but he is capable of doing that.

“He has done it in training this week but you have to do it on the big stage and he produced today. That was magnificent.

“That will give him a big lift in confidence.

“There have been lots of rumours talking about him being homesick and I can understand that.

“He has not really been away from home properly, out of Scotland. But if he settles down, he can do that.”

I think it’s quite clear that if wee Maloney wants to make a name for himself in the Premiership then it’s entirely down to him to continue to prove so.