Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish admits Aussie utility Chris Herd could be the "perfect foil" in midfield for playmaker Stiliyan Petrov.

The pair impressed in the 2-2 draw at Sunderland on the weekend.

And McLeish reckons Herd and Petrov have given him real hope.

He said: "Stiliyan is maturing well like a red wine. He scored a great goal.

"We tried to keep him and Chris in central midfield rather than letting them go wandering. Chris was a fantastic foil for Stiliyan."