Laursen set for new deal
Martin O’Neill is set to offer central defender Martin Laursen a new contract if he can maintain his newly-found fitness at the start of next season.
Laursen has only 12 months left of his current four-year deal and has been dogged by knee problems since his £3m move from AC Milan in the summer of 2004.
But he impressed when coming back into the side alongside former skipper Olof Mellberg for the final part of the 2006-07 campaign, which Villa ended with a nine-game unbeaten run.
Laursen expressed fears last month that he might struggle to convince O’Neill he was worthy of a new contract because of his lengthy spells on the sidelines.
But O’Neill said: “Martin Laursen has played fantastically well and I’ve already spoken to him. Like anything else, it’s about staying clear of injury and getting a run of games.
“We will monitor it closely when he comes back for pre-season because of the injury he’s had. But he’s really impressed me and I’m aware of the (contract) situation.
“Martin has shown great character to recover from the injuries he has sustained and is a quick healer.
“If you say, ’Martin will be out for three months’ the chances are he will be back in two. He has a great attitude towards getting fit.”
An indication of Laursen’s importance to Villa is that the side won five and drew seven of the 12 games the Danish international started last season.
