LOOK at this cute little fella...

Looks like a young Paul McGrath doesn't he?

He's not.

He's a lad called Paul Swift, better known to his friends as Bez, who tragically passed away just over a year ago.

But a few days ago his story became linked with McGrath, albeit tenuously. Let me tell you how.

VILLA right-back Luke Young announcing his England retirement in World Cup year....

Is this football's most controversial exit of a number two since Robbie Savage infamously used the toilet in the referee's room all those years ago?!

JAMES Milner has been so dedicated and dynamic since joining Aston Villa that he can be excused an occasional off day like at Everton on Saturday.

And there's no doubt that Villa will miss him if, as expected, he fails to recover from a calf problem to maintain his ever-present run at West Ham on Wednesday.

But perhaps the open training session at Villa Park last week solves the riddle about why he repeatedly gave the ball away at Goodison Park.

During a small-sided practice match, the bumper crowd given free access to the stadium for the event might have noticed Milner was kicking both ways.

Wearing a green bib to distinguish him from the other players on the two teams, Milner had to constantly swap ends to join whoever had possession.

It was a training exercise which showcased the winger's amazing work-rate but it meant him having to try hard to remember which set of players to pass to.

Which might explain why he so uncharacteristically struggled to find the feet of his claret and blue team-mates during Saturday's draw at Everton!

IT'S amazing what a bit of England recognition can do for a player's profile.

Don't get me wrong I don't begrudge James Milner winning plaudits for carrying out the defensive duties which have so impressed Villa fans for such a long while.

But would the Match of the Day pundits really have spent so long eulogising over the former Newcastle winger if he wasn't in fashion with Fabio Capello's Three Lions squad?

And why did it take Alan Hansen more than 160 words to describe a simple example of Milner's willingness to track back against Wolves last weekend?

"It's a bit technical in as much as if you've got a full-back on one side taking a corner kick on the other side, beforehand you'll designate somebody to go in the full back's position," said Hansen.

"So you've got a full-back on one side taking a corner kick on the other side so you designate somebody to go in that position.

"But a lot of the time when the ball breaks down the person, whoever it is, might get sucked into the play, might follow the ball.

"I've seen it hundreds of times where they just forget.

"Whereas James Milner is so reliable it's just untrue. Warnock is taking the corner kick from the opposite side on the right.

"What happens is Villa get possession and then it breaks down and watch Milner. He doesn't forget.

"He goes back, he goes back, he goes back, he goes back and ends up in what you'd describe as a perfect left back position and who wins the ball on the other side? The guy that's taken the corner kick."

Like I say, it's commendable that Milner's qualities are being highlighted by the 'experts' on national telly.

And in fairness Hansen did also add that he had been won over by Milner's attitude and ability and now rated him as a top class player.

But he could have summed up all of his waffling above by simply saying: "When left-back Stephen Warnock took a right wing corner, James Milner covered and tracked back diligently - like he always does."

MICK McCarthy might have been raving about Richard Dunne in the run up to this weekend's Wolves-Villa derby.

But it's Dunne's claret and blue colleague John Carew who McCarthy has particular admiration for as I found during a impassioned lecture from the Molineux manager early last season.

Idly passing time chatting at Wolves' Compton training base, myself and a fellow hack were discussing the merits of Carew.

Not knowing back then that the Norwegian battering ram would go on to top Villa's scoring charts with his highest season's goals tally, I was bemoaning Carew's failure to be the prolific frontman Martin O'Neill was crying out for.

Now the moral of the story is to be careful about entering into pub-style football tittle tattle when McCarthy is in earshot.

LET me get this right.

Emile Heskey has made it into every England squad under Fabio Capello when he has been fit and available.

Emile Heskey has been an automatic starter for Fabio Capello's Three Lions regardless of whether he has been in the Aston Villa first team or not.

Fabio Capello recently hinted Emile Heskey's place would not be in jeopardy because of his lack of club action and even joked that at least the striker would be 'fresher' for South Africa.

Emile Heskey insists that he has not spoken to Fabio Capello about the situation since the coach's comments and therefore should have no reason to believe his World Cup role is under threat.

So what is Emile Heskey's problem and why has he risked upsetting Villa's already unimpressed fans and notoriously no-nonsense manager by saying he might look to quit in January?

The only thing Emile Heskey should quit is moaning. Do yourself a favour Emile, the best way to get to the World Cup is to start giving something back to the club which pays your substantial salary.

FAR be it from me to start spreading conspiracy theories but has anybody else noticed that Marlon Harewood has mysteriously disappeared off the squad list on the official site?

Where Marlon's name and number 9 once were, now there is nothing.

It can't just be because 'The Hare' is out on loan at Newcastle United, because young defender Shane Lowry is also out on loan at Plymouth and he still warrants a mention.

And besides, I thought Harewood had gone for three months, not forever.

I'll investigate to see if I can get to the bottom of why Marlon is missing and report back to you.

Click the link below to see the Villa squad without The Hare

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/FirstTeam/0,,10265,00.html

UNLESS I was very much mistaken the first rendition of 'Richard Dunne My Lord', to the tune of Paul McGrath's Kum Ba Yah chant emanated from the Holte End a week ago.

The reaction to Dunne's colossal performance in the 1-1 draw against his old club Man City last Monday was the Irish defender's first taste of claret and blue hero status.

But, although the early signs are encouraging, Dunney still has a long way to go before he can crack open a beer and celebrate being as loved as his compatriot McGrath.

Because you ain't achieved nothing until you've got 'It's Your Round My Lord' bottle opener keyrings being manufactured in your honour!

To buy one click here..... http://tinyurl.com/yj2vqj6

WHEN a friend of a friend got married a few years ago the only concession his bride allowed to his Aston Villa obsession was naming all of the tables after his favourite players, McGrath, Platt, Yorke, Cowans etc etc.

After all the only 'Villa' his future wife was concerned about was their honeymoon accommodation and if he'd have asked for anything else football-related he might have seen his season ticket used as confetti.

WHEN will Martin O'Neill admit that Marlon Harewood has no future at the club.

Not even on the bench for last night's welcome win against Porto, Harewood is the ideal replacement for the suspended Emile Heskey in Seville against Juventus.

But even with a side ravaged by injury, non-availability and suspension Harewood is unlikely to be anywhere near the action.

Elsewhere Curtis Davies is convinced that he will be available to play on Sunday.

That's all very well but anyone who saw him wince at Everton last season when that shoulder initially popped out of its socket will now see that Davies potentially has a problem that may need corrective surgery, similar to that undertaken by Luke Moore.

Eric Lichaj and the highly impressive Marc Albrighton (who needs David Bentley) picked up their second bookings in the rather niggly affair against Porto and as we left the stadium there was a good deal of confusion as to whether they might be available or would miss out.

Just imagine if one, two or all three of those players don't make it - what sort of side would O'Neill be able to field against Juve?

It's no doubt a great experience for the likes of Lichaj, Albrighton, Ciaran Clark, Shane Lowry, Barry Bannan (who has now certainly slipped down the pecking order behind Albrighton), Chris Herd and Andreas Weimann.

But tomorrow could be one step too far against the Italians who ended the hopes of Ronaldo and co with their 2-1 win against Real Madrid.

It also won't help that Seville is renowned as the hottest place in Spain. The "frying pan" as it has been tagged.

As for last night's game. Brad Guzan appears to have given himself a real shout at one day soon replacing Brad Friedel. His handling was assured and he pulled off some fine saves. There were two clear errors when he lost the ball along the touchline and could easily have given away a penalty only for the referee to side with him in one incident. But his display was overall extremely sound.

Porto were a distasteful outfit. There was much gamesmanship. It was little surprise when Heskey paid the price.

Ashley Young has started pre-season with the proverbial 'bit between his teeth'. Steve Sidwell won the official man-of-the-match vote and certainly looked more like the player who shone for a brief time around the turn of the year.

Nigel Reo-Coker has taken to the captaincy. A pity for him then that Stiliyan Petrov will be back in two to three weeks.

But probably for me the game's most outstanding player was John Carew who, considering his laid back persona and the fact that these really are just friendlies, looked well and truly a man possessed.

True Porto defended shockingly at times and did not look on the night anything like Premier League let alone European standard.

But there is at last something for Villa supporters to be pleased about before the next week or two sees some strenuous efforts made in rebuilding a seriously reduced squad.

Work to bring in Sylvain Distin and get Portsmouth to reduce their £4.5m asking price should gather pace.

I am expecting Blackburn's Stephen Warnock to make the switch.

I understand Miguel Veloso and Sporting Lisbon are hanging on the telephone waiting for Villa to complete a £12m switch.

Sol Campbell could now also expect to be offered a short term contract.

And don't rule out an expensive foreign signing, a flagship signing, the likes of which O'Neill has never made before.

I've said before that Villa are at a crossroads. Perhaps they have taken just the first step on the right road.