Nicky Shorey this evening completed his Villa Park move and insisted: "I can achieve all my ambitions at this football club."

The 27-year-old England international becomes Martin O'Neill's fourth new signing of the summer and will join up with close friend and former Reading team mate Steve Sidwell at Villa Park.

Speaking to AVTV Online just seconds after putting pen-to-paper on a three-year deal, Shorey told www.avfc.co.uk: "I'm delighted to be here. It's all come out of the blue a bit but it's a great challenge for me. This is a massive club and I'm really looking forward to it.

"There were other clubs interested but this is such a big club. Obviously I talked to the manager and he's very positive and very ambitious. That's what I am - especially after last season. I want to get back into the Premier League and show people what I can do.

"So I'm just grateful for the opportunity to play for such a big club as Aston Villa. I think I can achieve everything I want in the game at a club like this.

"Villa are definitely going places. You can tell by the signings they're making and the people already at the club.

"The manager is talking very positively here and obviously the chairman's backing him up. So I want to be a part of that."

Shorey continued: "When you talk to the manager you want to get a good feel for what he's trying to do and I did straightaway with Martin. He made me feel at ease and made me feel wanted. That was a big factor.

"I'm looking forward to just getting out on the training pitch with the lads first and obviously I know Steve Sidwell very well so that's a bonus - to have such a good friend at the club who can help me settle in.

"I've spoken to Steve and he's only had positive things to say about Villa. So it's going to be great to link up with him again because we're really good mates."