Villa boss O'Neill sets 20-goal target for striker Agbonlahor

Martin O'Neill believes striker Gabriel Agbonlahor is capable of scoring 20 goals in the Barclays Premier League this season.  

Agbonlahor netted 11 times in the top flight during the 2007-2008 campaign despite a spell of finding the target only once in five months between November and early April.  

But O'Neill feels the England Under-21 player, who earlier this month signed a new four-year contract, has the ability to almost double that tally ahead of the home clash with Liverpool tomorrow.

He began the current season in superb fashion with a second half hat-trick in the space of eight minutes against Manchester City at Villa Park although he then drew a blank in the shock 3-2 reversal at Stoke last weekend.  

O'Neill told PA Sport: 'Why shouldn't Gabby be capable of a good goal return?  

'Sometimes you can be a goalscorer and not be a natural finisher but his efforts in front of goal now are improving.  

'He has come on so much in terms of his all-round game.  

'When he gets on that training ground, he tries and wants to improve his game and he has done that in the two years I've been here.  

'He tries to hold the ball up like a centre-forward and he practices his finishing as well. 

'It was a great start to the season for him against Manchester City and, yes, he is capable of scoring 20 league goals in a season.'

O'Neill added: 'Like with all strikers, confidence is a big factor and that hat-trick was really massive for Gabby.  

'It was the opening day of the season and he scores a hat-trick in seven or eight minutes. What a tonic.  

'You could see the lift he got just from the first goal.  

'I have no doubt the confidence he got from that first goal gave him the spur to want to go into the danger area for the second goal.  

'With the third goal, his confidence was so high, you thought he was going to put it away.'

The only downside for Agbonlahor was being omitted from the England squad for the final warm-up international with the Czech Republic before the World Cup qualifying campaign gets under way.  

But O'Neill is convinced the Academy product will force his way back into Fabio Capello's plans along with Ashley Young who was also axed against the Czechs.  

The former Celtic boss said: 'Gabby knows himself that to break into that group of England forwards, that includes Wayne Rooney, is particularly hard but he has the ambition to want to push on.  

'I just think his time will come with England.  

'It is a long, long season ahead. We have quite a number of English players in the Villa team and the opportunity is there for them.  

'If they are good enough, they will get a chance.  

'I have got no doubts Gabby will make it through with England and the same goes with Ashley Young who has been fantastic for us.  

'This manager (Capello) didn't just build his reputation on a couple of games of picking the same squad.  

'He will know what players are capable of doing.'

James Milner could make his debut following the completion of his £10million-plus move from Newcastle which has taken O'Neill's spending spree for the summer to £48million.  

Young and John Carew are among those expected to return after being rested for the midweek UEFA Cup clash with Hafnarfjordur and there could be a first taste of action for recent capture Carlos Cuellar.