Martin O’Neill insists Nicky Shorey can still have a future at Aston Villa Football Club.

The former Reading player has started every Premier League game for Villa this season, but Stephen Warnock’s £8million arrival saw him discussing terms over a loan deal to Portsmouth.

These talks of a loan move to Fratton Park fell through on deadline day so Shorey has returned to the Midlands, and O’Neill insists he can still play a part for the club.

"Does he have a part to play?" he told the Birmingham Mail. "Of course. I think Nicky and his agent kind of pre-empted things a little bit by thinking he was not going to play.

"I had certainly not been pushing him out but something came up and they wanted to explore that. I gave them that opportunity but it didn't come off.

"Nicky wants to come back here and really fight for a place in the side. We have Warnock and then Freddie Bouma to come back so there's options, which will be important between now and January."