Dennis Mortimer: Villa should go for a Brit

Villa legend Dennis Mortimer today urged the club's board to "go British" with their next manager despite cooling their interest in Mark Hughes.

Gerard Houllier finalised his departure on Wednesday and Hughes seemed in prime position to take over after he resigned as Fulham boss just 24 hours later.

The claret and blues subsequently distanced themselves from the Welshman while Italian Carlo Ancelotti, Spaniard Rafael Benitez and Dutchman Martin Jol are all still in the mix for the job.

But former European Cup winning captain Mortimer believes owner Randy Lerner should ignore the claims of the foreign legion and look closer to home as they search for the 63-year-old Frenchman's successor.

"I would rather see a British manager in charge of Villa," Mortimer told the Express & Star.

"I just feel that we don't give our British managers much of a chance. We go for these people from abroad who have been around a bit but they are not always the right choice.

"Get someone fresh who understands the game here. There are people out there and I just hope it is not a foreign manager. I get fed up with foreign managers because we need to give our British managers a chance.

"David Moyes has done well at Everton in difficult circumstances.

"You could also look at someone like Ian Holloway. Who is to say he couldn't do a good job with Villa? Some people might say he is only good for a club like Blackpool but that's wrong.

"People like Ian have done their apprenticeship and know what the game is about. They wear their heart of their sleeves and they are motivational managers but what is wrong with someone like that?"

And Mortimer, who made 403 appearances for the claret and blues during a decade with the club from 1975 to 1985, believes the decision to employ Houllier was always going to be a gamble. "I thought in the first place that it was an appointment that wouldn't last because the job is too stressful with his history of problems," added Mortimer.