Tuesday, 22nd April, 2014



Aston Villa’s young winger Aleksandar Tonev believes that ‘English football is brilliant’ and feels that he has adjusted to life in Birmingham.

The 24-year-old joined the Claret and Blues in June 2013 from Polish side Lech Poznan after making 54 appearances for them in two years.




He has featured in 18 league games for Paul Lambert’s team since then, starting in eight of those, but is yet to net a goal for the Villans. But the Bulgarian international, who has impressed the boss with his speed, feels that his priority right now is to cement his pace in the starting line-up and insists that he now feels far more confident and comfortable playing in England.

"It was difficult when I came here. I was in a new country and had to learn a new language. But I'm far more comfortable with everything now”, Tonev was quoted as saying by Aston Villa’s site.

relatedNewsStory

"Maybe I still need more time but I feel much better. I really enjoy training and I love to play in games. The Premier League is very hard but I feel I have settled in.

"It was a big step to come into the best league in the world after playing in Bulgaria and Poland. Football here is much bigger than I imagined – English football is brilliant.

"You have the best players, great stadiums, great fans – and the game is much quicker than I had been used to. I've had to work very hard in training in order to adjust", he added.

The young player, who was awarded with the Bulgarian Best Young Player of the Season award in 2011, will hope to better his performance when his side take on Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

Don't bet on football until you've visited Inside Bet! Interesting markets, top tips, betting facts – get all the info before you bet.