Aly Cissokho: 'Paul Lambert has given me confidence'

Aly Cissokho has said that he has "a lot more confidence" after playing for Paul Lambert at Aston Villa.

The French defender, who spent last season on loan at Liverpool, joined Villa from Valencia during the summer.

The 27-year-old told The Sun: "I came here because the manager is very interesting. He has given me a lot of confidence and more freedom to play than I ever had with Liverpool.

"It was difficult for me at Liverpool because I was injured 10 minutes into my first home game. It was hard for me to come back from that.

"I didn't really have time at Liverpool to learn about the differences between the Premier League and what I was used to in other European leagues. It was hard for me to adjust."

Cissokho has played in all of Villa's Premier League matches so far this season.