Star pens new Villa deal

Star winger Ashley Young has put pen-to-paper on a new four-year contract to stay at Aston Villa until 2012.

The 23-year-old has impressed since arriving from Championship side Watford for £9.65million in January 2007, scoring 13 times in 59 appearances, and manager Martin O'Neill had made no secret of his desire to keep hold of him.

Young's fine form has also seen him elevated to the senior England side, although he has failed to add to his three caps so far in the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

The Stevenage-born flyer follows Villa Park team-mates John Carew, Gabby Agbonlahor, Wilfred Bouma and Craig Gardner in committing his future to the Champions League hopefuls.