Gary Gardner: I'm ready for Villa return
Gary Gardner today targeted an instant first team return and urged fans to give Villa more time.
The midfielder is primed for a Premier League comeback after 17 months injury nightmare saw him play just two minutes.
He was an unused substitute in Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Manchester United – his first squad since he was a late substitute in last season's final game at Wigan.
Gardner played 63 minutes of Tuesday's 2-0 under-21 win over Wolves at Telford – where he was watched by Derby and Forest.
But the 21-year-old is only eyeing of a Villa impact after recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered in August 2012 and then a persistent back problem this season.
He said: "I'll train hard, work hard and because there are so many games over Christmas you never know. If you are called on you are straight in. I'll be ready for it.
"I'll work hard for the gaffer. He has proved he likes playing the youngsters so hopefully I can get back in the team.
"The club have been brilliant for me, so have my family and friends. It's been frustrating for me to come back from my knee and then have a nerve problem so hopefully I can get some more games and push on.
"There's not another under-21 game for another month now so I want to train hard and get back into it."
Gardner is set to make the squad for Saturday's trip to Stoke as he looks to ease the pressure on Villa's midfield.
Fabian Delph, Karim El Ahmadi, Ashley Westwood, Aleksandar Tonev and Yacouba Sylla have scored just four league goals between them.
But Gardner called for patience and insisted the supporters must get behind Villa's young squad after successive defeats.
He said: "The fans have got a right to voice their own options and they have been brilliant away and at home. The gaffer is playing a lot of young lads and that's how he likes it. It's up to him and so far he's been doing brilliantly with the lads he's brought in.
"The gaffer has come in and he's turned things round. He has brought a lot of players in so it's about just keeping patient. I'm training with them every day and the quality is there so the message is just be patient and everything will be fine."
