WHEN Aston Villa were draw out of the pot as Swindon’s opponents in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup, no-one could have been happier with the outcome than striker James Collins.
Having come through the Youth Academy at Villa Park, a tie against the Midlands side was always his preferred choice. After missing out on Saturday's 4-0 demolition of Stevenage, Collins told the media on Monday that he is relishing the prospect of playing against Paul Lambert's side.
“When we got through to the last 16 and I saw that Villa had beaten Manchester City I said to the boys that I’d like Villa away,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of friends there and it’s also one of my former clubs so I’m really happy with the draw. It’s not at Villa Park which would have been nice but I think with it being at home we have got a great chance of beating them.
“I think we’ve got a chance to beat anyone especially at home because they’ll come here thinking we’re a League One side and maybe we’ll catch them by surprise. If we play our football I think we’re capable of causing an upset.
“I went there at Under-14 level and stayed until just before I was 21 so a long time but I had a great time there. The youth team and reserves we were very successful, but my first team opportunities were limited so Shrewsbury came in and gave me a chance of playing.”