Aston Villa new-signing James Milner is delighted with Gareth Barry staying on at Villa Park, after the move to Liverpool failed to materialise.

The England midfielder was keen to leave Villa for Anfield, but the Reds failed to match the 27-year-old’s asking price and Villa’s long-serving player has recently expressed his determination to give his best to the Villans.

Milner, who left Newcastle United to join Martin O’Neill’s side, had spent the 2005-06 campaign on loan at Villa Park, and is now excited to link-up with the central midfielder again.

The 22-year-old England U-21 winger, who has signed a four-year deal at the Midlands club, told the club’s official website: "It's a massive thing to keep Gareth. The fact that a club like Liverpool wanted him shows what a quality player he is. You don't want to be losing players of that quality.

"It's not just what he does as a player though. It's the example he shows in and around the dressing room. He's a fantastic person to have in and around the place.

"I know from my last spell here, you don't know just how gifted he is until you train with him week in, week out. He's a fantastic player and I'll be looking to learn a lot from him this time around."