It's more than two years since he broke into Villa's first team but Craig Gardner insists he is still on the Premier League learning curve.

The Yardley-born midfielder, who turned 21 in November, has become an important member of the squad since making his debut against Everton on Boxing Day 2005.

But while he has great faith in his own ability, he takes nothing for granted and is perfectly happy to continue his football education under the guidance of Martin O'Neill.

The manager, in turn, clearly sees enormous potential in Gardner, who was awarded a four-year contract earlier this season.

Whatever the future holds, though, that brief festive introduction of top flight action will never be far from this young man's mind.

"I can vividly recall when I went on for my debut," he says. "That's something which will always be with me. It was amazing to run on in front of all those people. To be honest, I was running around like a headless chicken!

"I've learned a lot since then and I'm sure I still have a lot more to learn. But we have the right manager here to teach me. He knows what he's talking about and that's great for all the young lads at the club, especially those like me who have had had first team experience. It can only help in the future.

"I certainly feel a lot more comfortable now. The manager instils confidence into players and stresses the importance of working hard. That suits me because my game is about working hard."

Gardner's graft has brought him international recognition - he broke into the England under-21 team last year - and he has also scored for Villa on numerous occasions. He netted his first at Middlesbrough last April and followed up with another on the final day at Bolton. This time around he has been on target three times, including two from free-kicks, against London clubs Tottenham, West Ham and Arsenal.

Without doubt, the most satisfying of the trio was the free-kick which proved to be the winner against the Hammers.

And as long as he gets the opportunity, he has promised there are plenty more where that came from.

"To see 40,000 people screaming and shouting because I had put the ball in the net was fantastic," he admits. "When I got home and everyone was patting me on the back and saying 'well done' it made the hairs on the back on my neck stand up.

"The most important thing, though, is winning. If you are doing that, it doesn't really matter who scores.

"But I said at the start of the season that I wanted to hit the 10-goal mark and hopefully I can. I know it's ambitious but I don't see the point in setting a target of three or four goals. I would rather try for something that's hard to reach.

"I want to get my head down, play as many games as I can and score as many goals as possible. I want to be involved with the team throughout the second half of the season and then look to play a lot more games next season.

"There's plenty of competition for places in this squad but that doesn't worry me. It's good for the team and it also keeps players on their toes when they know they are not automatic choices.

"The gaffer is building a strong young team and you can't give him enough credit for that."

Apart from becoming a favourite with Villa supporters, Gardner has also found himself thrust into the spotlight by attending community events which invariably attract widespread media attention.

"It's brilliant," he says. "Sometimes I have to pinch myself to really believe what's happened to me.

"When I was younger I could never have imagined anything like this. I don't really see myself as being famous but when you get television cameramen coming to watch you doing things like this, it's amazing. It's like a dream, and I'm not waking up.

"If I hadn't made it in the Premier League I would still be playing football in the park every morning and every night.

"I'm young and I can't expect to play in every game, even though I want to. I know I have to be patient. I just have to keep going, play well - and hopefully score a few goals."

Given his insatiable appetite for the game, just imagine how he must have felt to be selected for the national under-21 team.

"To play for your country is massive," he says. "I didn't play international football at youth level, so it's great to have broken through at this level. Not many players do it that way so it's a big achievement for me. It's a real honour."