O'Neill: Spat with Reo-Coker forgotten

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill insists his training-ground spat with Nigel Reo-Coker has been consigned to history, and claimed: "I'm too old to start holding grudges now.''

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Reo-Coker was left out of the squad for the game with Portsmouth following the bust-up between the duo at the club's Bodymoor Heath training ground in mid-September.

But proof the incident is long forgotten came when O'Neill made Reo-Coker skipper for the clash with Bolton on Saturday in the absence of the injured Stiliyan Petrov.

"I thought that Nigel should receive the armband," O'Neill said. "He's been captain before when Stiliyan Petrov's missed out and when other people have.

"I felt, if he's going into the side, he might as well burden himself with the extra responsibility as captain as well, and I thought he acquitted himself really well.

"Was it an excellent piece of man-management? I'm too old to start holding grudges now.

"Perhaps, when I was at Nigel's age, I probably would have done. But I'm too old and, for the benefit of the team, it's not that important.'' Nigel and myself had a bit of a spat. It's over and done with. It was quite some time ago.

Reo-Coker's start against Bolton was his first in the league since before the the pair's fall-out, though the former England Under-21 captain did play 90 minutes in Villa's Carling Cup victory over Sunderland.

And O'Neill was keen to put the incident behind him and focus on Villa's push for a Champions League place.

"The opportunity arose to put him into the side and, as I said, he might as well take the extra responsibility," O'Neill said. "There isn't, as far as I am concerned, anything to take on into the future again.

"What will be, will be, like everything else, but I just want players to come in here and give everything for this football club and try and win games in this league because it's hard for us.''