Veteran backs Villa pair for greatness

Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young have been tipped to be a big success for England by their Aston Villa team-mate John Carew.

The Norwegian international hitman has worked closely with 21-year-old strike partner, Agbonlahor, and 23-year-old attacking midfield man, Young, and can see a bright future for both players with the Three Lions, despite both failing to feature in coach Fabio Capello's squad for Wednesday's friendly against Czech Republic at Wembley.

Carew said: "I can definitely see Gabby and Ashley breaking into the England side this season. They can be as good as they want.

"They have great potential. They have everything in front of them. They are both young with fantastic skills and they can both succeed and go a long way in the game.

"It is the start of a new era for England and there is a good generation of players coming through. I think they will be very strong in the years to come - and Gabby and Ashley can be part of that."