N VILLA boss Martin O’Neill will have to wait until this morning to parade his deadline-day defensive pair after the Premier League requested more time to ratify Richard Dunne’s move from Manchester City last night.<br /><br />O’Neill is confident Dunne will be confirmed as a Villa player today with the ex-City captain having already completed a medical at Villa Park.<br /><br />The Football Association are already happy with the paperwork but Villa need the approval of the Premier League before they can formally unveil the player.<br /><br />Dunne will be joined at Villa Park by Wales centre-back James Collins, who signed in a £4m deal from West Ham. Collins, 26, who rejected a move to Stoke, made 60 appearances in four years at Upton Park but said it had not been a difficult decision to leave.<br /><br />“It’s been a mad 24 hours since coming up here but I’m delighted to have it all sorted,” he said. “I came on Monday and met the manager and had a look around. It’s a fantastic setting. I just can’t wait to get cracking now. Aston Villa are a massive club so after coming here and looking around – and I’m friendly with a few of the boys as well – it didn’t take a lot of persuading on my part.”<br /><br />Dunne meanwhile, was forced to move in search of first team football after being marginalised by big-money summer signings at Eastlands.<br /><br />O’Neill was left needing reinforcements at the back by the retirement of Martin Laursen and the sale of Zat Knight to Bolton.
N VI
N VILLA boss Martin O’Neill will have to wait until this morning to parade his deadline-day defensive pair after the Premier League requested more time to ratify Richard Dunne’s move from Manchester City last night.<br /><br />O’Neill is confident Dunne will be confirmed as a Villa player today with the ex-City captain having already completed a medical at Villa Park.<br /><br />The Football Association are already happy with the paperwork but Villa need the approval of the Premier League before they can formally unveil the player.<br /><br />Dunne will be joined at Villa Park by Wales centre-back James Collins, who signed in a £4m deal from West Ham. Collins, 26, who rejected a move to Stoke, made 60 appearances in four years at Upton Park but said it had not been a difficult decision to leave.<br /><br />“It’s been a mad 24 hours since coming up here but I’m delighted to have it all sorted,” he said. “I came on Monday and met the manager and had a look around. It’s a fantastic setting. I just can’t wait to get cracking now. Aston Villa are a massive club so after coming here and looking around – and I’m friendly with a few of the boys as well – it didn’t take a lot of persuading on my part.”<br /><br />Dunne meanwhile, was forced to move in search of first team football after being marginalised by big-money summer signings at Eastlands.<br /><br />O’Neill was left needing reinforcements at the back by the retirement of Martin Laursen and the sale of Zat Knight to Bolton.
N VILLA boss Martin O’Neill will have to wait until this morning to parade his deadline-day defensive pair after the Premier League requested more time to ratify Richard Dunne’s move from Manchester City last night.<br /><br />O’Neill is confident Dunne will be confirmed as a Villa player today with the ex-City captain having already completed a medical at Villa Park.<br /><br />The Football Association are already happy with the paperwork but Villa need the approval of the Premier League before they can formally unveil the player.<br /><br />Dunne will be joined at Villa Park by Wales centre-back James Collins, who signed in a £4m deal from West Ham. Collins, 26, who rejected a move to Stoke, made 60 appearances in four years at Upton Park but said it had not been a difficult decision to leave.<br /><br />“It’s been a mad 24 hours since coming up here but I’m delighted to have it all sorted,” he said. “I came on Monday and met the manager and had a look around. It’s a fantastic setting. I just can’t wait to get cracking now. Aston Villa are a massive club so after coming here and looking around – and I’m friendly with a few of the boys as well – it didn’t take a lot of persuading on my part.”<br /><br />Dunne meanwhile, was forced to move in search of first team football after being marginalised by big-money summer signings at Eastlands.<br /><br />O’Neill was left needing reinforcements at the back by the retirement of Martin Laursen and the sale of Zat Knight to Bolton.