Martin O'Neill admits he would relish a trip down memory lane if Villa face Northern Ireland side Lisburn Distillery in the Intertoto Cup.

The Villa boss started his career with the Ulster outfit - then known simply as Distillery - and won the Irish Cup in 1971. He then moved onto Nottingham Forest.

Now Distillery are one of three sides Villa could face in the Intertoto third round, with Odense BK (Denmark) and TPS Turku (Finland) also in the frame.

O'Neill told www.avfc.co.uk: "When I played for Distillery they weren't called Lisburn Distillery. Lisburn is an area just on the outskirts of Belfast but they were actually based in central Belfast.

"They had to move because there was a road planned that would run through the pitch and in my final season we were in a troubled area and had to move grounds.

"I never actually played in the Lisburn area - that was something that happened after I left the football club.

"It would be absolutely astonishing if we ended up playing them in the Intertoto - but there's a one in three chance.

"Our only drawback to all of it is that we have to get into competitive mode very early on in the season. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Intertoto Schedule

Lisburn Distillery v TPS Turku
First-leg: June 21/22
Second-leg: June 28/29

The winners will face Odense BK
First-leg: July 5/6
Second-leg: July 12/13

Villa enter the competition at the third stage and will be away in the first game.
First-leg: July 19/20
Second-leg: July 26/27