Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is convinced imminent new signing Brad Guzan can be a match for America's greatest goalkeepers.

O'Neill said: "It would be great if he could come in because I see some potential in him, and I think he has got more than that.

"He is following in a line of American goalkeepers who have come over here and done fantastically well."

"Brad Friedel, in particular, has been brilliant for the last seven or eight years. You have to say that Tim Howard has done exceptionally well, and I had the privilege of signing Kasey Keller from Millwall at Leicester City who did exceptionally well for us.

"So those goalkeepers have proved a point and from the conversations I have had with him, Brad has exactly the same ambition and hopefully has exactly the same mentality."