Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has expressed his belief that the experience of Irish duo Shay Given and Richard Dunne will prove invaluable during the upcoming season.
Both Given and Dunne will return to training next week after being given extra time off due to their Euro 2012 commitments and Lambert believes that, despite Ireland having such a disappointing tournament, they will still be key players for Villa.
"They're two experienced lads," Lambert told the club's official website. "They're not kids and they've been round the course before. I spoke to the two of them earlier on in the Euros. It was a hard tournament for them, with what happened.
"They've done great for Villa in the past and had fantastic football careers let alone anything else. They've been over the course before and once I see them I'll have another chat with them. Shay and Richard have had two fabulous careers at both international and club levels. Shay has about 955 caps and Richard has a lot too. They know the game.
"They aren't young kids. They know the high level of football it is, which is great. It's a great honour for them to have taken part in a major tournament. OK, it might not have gone the way they wanted it to go but they were still part of it. I am pretty sure the experience will be good."
Given joined Aston Villa last summer, while Dunne has been at Villa Park since 2009.
Barney Corkhill
