Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill says the English Premier League would benefit from the inclusion of his former club Celtic and rivals Rangers.

The proposal to create a two-tier Premier League could be discussed at the league’s AGM in June.

And O’Neill, who left Celtic in 2005 after five years in charge, said the Old Firm would be a hit in England.

“My personal thought is that Celtic and Rangers would enhance the Premier League,” he told Villa’s website.

Last week BBC Scotland learned Bolton chairman Phil Gartside has proposed allowing the Old Firm clubs to move to England as part of a two-tier Premier League of 18 teams each.

The idea would have to overcome a number of obstacles if it was to come to fruition, and Uefa’s director of communications William Gaillard told BBC Scotland the matter would be something to be decided between the leagues and associations involved.

O’Neill believes the Glasgow clubs would grow if they were given the green light to play in England.

I’m not sure about Rangers but I know Celtic’s capacity could go from 60,000 to 80,000 overnight – without a doubt

“Glasgow is a phenomenal football city – Celtic house 60,000 and Rangers house 50,000,” he told Villa’s website.

“I’m not sure about Rangers but I know Celtic’s capacity could go from 60,000 to 80,000 overnight – without a doubt.

“When I was manager of Celtic a number of years ago, there was some talk of both teams joining the Premier League in some capacity.

“There was mention of them being put in the Championship too, or maybe even lower down than that, and then making them work their way up through promotion.”

He added: “If forced to do that, they would eventually get to the top and end up as monumental players in the Premier League.”

O’Neill said he was aware sceptics would be against the move, but he believed the clubs would enhance the competition in England.

“I suppose Belgian teams could then ask to join the Dutch league and Dutch teams could then request to join the Bundesliga,” he went on.

“All of those points would have to be considered. But if you’re asking for a personal opinion, I think Celtic and Rangers joining would enhance the Barclays Premier League and make us all strive to get better.

“I certainly support the idea. But, then again, I could be a voice in the wilderness.”

Source: English Premier League News, Aston Villa Football Club News at BBC Sport

Bradley Howard “Brad” Friedel (born May 18, 1971 in Lakewood, Ohio) is an American international football (soccer) goalkeeper who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League. He played 82 games for the United States national team between 1992 and 2005, and represented his country at three FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Personal information
Full name : Bradley Howard Friedel
Date of birth : May 18, 1971 (1971-05-18) (age 37)
Place of birth : Lakewood, Ohio, U.S.
Height : 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position : Goalkeeper
Premier League Club : Aston Villa Football Club

Aston Villa Football Club

On 18 July 2008, it was revealed by Blackburn Rovers that Friedel had asked permission to speak to Aston Villa if an offer was accepted, with both Aston Villa and Manchester City reportedly interested in signing the American shotstopper. On 23 July 2008 Blackburn announced that the club had accepted a transfer bid for Friedel, thought to be in the region of £2.5m, subject to the club themselves having a bid accepted for a replacement goalkeeper. On 25 July it was confirmed that Aston Villa were holding talks with Brad Friedel. On 26 July it was confirmed he had signed a 3 year contract with Aston Villa. Friedel was unveiled at half time during Aston Villa’s Intertoto Cup match against Odense BK. On 2nd August Friedel made his uncompetitive debut against Reading F.C. at the Madejski Stadium. Just 10 minutes in the hosts were awarded a penalty which Friedel then saved. His competitive debut came in the UEFA Cup Second Qualifying Round, First Leg against Hafnarfjordur away from home. Villa won the match 4-1. Friedel played his first Premiership match for Aston Villa on 17 August 2008, the first match for Aston Villa in the season 2008/09, which Villa won 4-2 at home.

Source: For more information on Brad Friedel, Goalkeeper of Aston Villa, English Barclays Premier League Football Club, visit wikipedia.org

Personal information
Full name : Martin Hugh Michael O’Neill
Date of birth : March 1, 1952 (1952-03-01) (age 56)
Place of birth : Kilrea, Northern Ireland
Playing position : Midfielder (retired)
Club information : Aston Villa
League : English Barclays Premier League Football Club

Aston Villa

O’Neill was introduced as the Aston Villa manager at a press conference on August 4, 2006. At the press conference he stated “It’s absolutely fantastic to be back and with a club such as this. This is a fantastic challenge. I am well aware of the history of this football club. Trying to restore it to its days of former glory seems a long way away – but why not try? It is nearly 25 years since they won the European Cup but that is the dream.”

Villa’s form improved substantially following O’Neill’s appointment. They had the longest unbeaten start of any Premiership side in 2006-07 (9 games), not losing a league game until 28 October.

Villa suffered a mid-season slump but recovered late in the season, winning their three away games in April under O’Neill’s guidance, to end the season how it began with a run of 9 unbeaten fixtures. For this O’Neill scooped the Barclays Manager of the Month for April.

.[3] Aston Villa’s owner Randy Lerner said that he would not stop O’Neill from leaving Villa if offered the job of England manager, because he respects that it is a very prestigious position.[3] O’Neill later dismissed the reports, calling them “unfair speculation”.[4]

The 2007-08 season was a fantastic season for O’Neill and Aston Villa as they just missed out on a UEFA Cup spot on the final day of the season and qualified for the InterToto Cup by finshing 6th. They also scored 71 goals, (Villa’s best ever tally in the Premier League and best tally since winning the title in 1981), gained 60 points which was Villa’s highest points tally since the 1996-97 season, were the 3rd highest goalscorers and were praised for their well-organised, counter-attacking football something in which O’Neill got Leicester City and Celtic playing in his previous jobs

Source: For more information on Martin O’Neill, Aston Villa Manager, English Barclays Premier League Football Club, visit wikipedia.org

Full name : Aston Villa Football Club
Nickname(s) : The Villa, The Villans, Villa[1] The Lions
Founded : 1874
Ground : Villa Park, Aston, Birmingham B6 6HE, England (Capacity: 42,640[3])
Chairman : Randy Lerner
Manager : Martin O’Neill
League : English Barclays Premier League

They are one of the oldest and most successful football clubs in England, having won the First Division Championship seven times and the FA Cup seven times.[5] Villa are also one of only four English clubs to win the European Cup, which they did in 1982.[6] Aston Villa is the fourth most successful club in English football history, having won 20 major honours,[7] although most of these were won before the Second World War and the most recent was in 1996.

They have a long-standing and fierce rivalry with local rivals Birmingham City, although West Bromwich Albion is actually the closest professional football club. The Birmingham derby between Aston Villa and Birmingham City has been played since 1879.[8] The club’s traditional kit colours are claret shirts with sky blue sleeves, white shorts and sky blue socks. Their traditional crest is of a rampant gold lion on a light blue background with the club’s motto ‘Prepared’ underneath; a modified version of this was adopted in 2007

Source: For more information on Aston Villa Football Club, English Barclays Premier League, visit wikipedia.org