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I have always been a fan of Tom Cleverley, even when the England fans launched that rather puerile petition to oust him from the side.

When Paul Lambert snapped up the Manchester United midfielder on loan, I sang his praises from the rooftops.

His brilliant form for Aston Villa has won over many claret and blue fans and Roy Hodgson is wrong not to have included him in the England squad to face Slovenia and Ireland.

Cleverley has always impressed me as a footballer, I will tell you why.

He has faced derision from England fans and indeed Aston Villa followers at times this season for being unspectacular and being the master of the two-yard pass.

It’s an unfair criticism. Cleverley does the simple things well, but he is far more than a water-carrier.

Technically, Cleverley shows every sign of his Manchester United schooling and plays with a pedigree that a club like Villa can only benefit from.

Cleverley’s passing competence is easy to see, he averages 45.8 passes a game with a success rate of 86.5%.

Those passes are not just in front of the back four either, if we look specifically at the average in the opposition half it is 83.3% - he is getting the ball to the people who matter, in the areas that matter.

One of the key reasons for the criticism of Cleverley is that he isn’t a flair player, he doesn’t always stand out, but just because he isn’t noticed it doesn’t mean he isn’t vital.

He is that all important player in the midfield that is akin to a small cog in a watch, take that cog out and the watch stops ticking.

I predicted on the way to Wembley that Cleverley would be the key man for Villa in the semi final against Liverpool.

Admittedly, he wasn't the star man that day, but I like to think my words below spurred him on in his recent scoring spree.

Tim Sherwood has made no secret of his intention to keep Cleverley, and if there is one man who knows midfielders, it is he.

Indeed it is the arrival of Sherwood that seems to have re-ignited the attacking threat of Cleverley, the player has been chipping in with vital goals as the Sherwood effect rubs off on all at the club.

Aston Villa have a very good player on their hands, a very good player indeed.

He seems to want to repay the faith the club has shown him and I for one hope that Villa benefit for the next few years by snapping him up on a long-term contract.

There are a lot of risks in football when it comes to signing players, Cleverley is no such risk, he is the epitome of a safe bet.

The call from England would have been evidence of everything that Cleverley has done right this season at Aston Villa - to not win a place in the side seems to be a real faux-pas from Hodgson.

Cleverley is the right age, in good form and currently at the top of his game.

He will come again for England, whether it be under Hodgson or someone else.

He can enjoy his summer though, safe in the knowledge that he has rebuilt his career after a blip in the middle.

His views on staying at Villa seem clear to me. He recently stated: "I've really got to like playing for this club in the last few months.

(Image: Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

"This manager, you have to give him credit for getting me where I am over the last few weeks.

"First and foremost you have to be playing at a club where you fit in, where you're playing in the position where you want to play and where you like the manager, the lads. This club ticks those boxes. I'm happy.”

This is a message to Tom Fox, that is a green light sir. A very big green light.

Snap him up, before those pesky Toffees beat you to it.