Paul Ince reckons he got the better end of the deal when he signed Paul Robinson for Blackburn Rovers Football Club during the summer.

Rovers were disappointed to lose Brad Friedel to Aston Villa during the transfer window, but they replaced him with Tottenham Hotspur's Robinson who Ince claims is the better goalkeeper.

"Robbo's the best keeper in the Premier League. It was disappointing to lose Brad. But when I look back at it, it was great business," the Ewood Park boss told The Sun.

"Robbo is only 28. Robbo's been world class. Maybe he took his eye off the prize at Tottenham Hotspur. He's moved away from the smoke and wanted to start over."

However, Villa boss Martin O'Neill has a different opinion, and he feels when he signed Friedel from Rovers he was signing a shot-stopper as good as any in the country.

"He has been an excellent keeper for a number of years and he's got better with age," said the Ulsterman. "His age is of no concern to me. He is as good a keeper as there is in the Premier League.

"I felt his experience and general know-how would help us immensely and they have done so. His head is screwed on. He is brave and he looks after himself."

Friedel is up against his old club in a Premier League fixture on Wednesday, when both he and his opposite number will be trying to prove their respective manager's right!