If Marc Albrighton were to turn into a regular contributor in Aston Villa's starting XI, it would be one of the few things in the world that could make all Villa fans happy. He's been a Villa player since he was eight years old, and really began to make an impression under Gerard Houllier. Then Alex McLeish came along and most of us assumed that Marc was dead in a ditch somewhere. So his recent resurgence under Paul Lambert has been one of the season's more pleasant surprises.
But his contract is set to run out this summer and he's heard absolutely nothing from the club. He's a player who shouldn't cost too much to renew, and whose skill has been valuable to the club almost every time Lambert has remembered to put him on the pitch. The good news is that Albrighton isn't getting impatient, and when he does sign, he seems likely to give the club a hometown discount:
"When the contract talks happen, then they happen and we will take it from there. I am Villa through and through, if given the opportunity, it is a great club."
Resigning Marc Albrighton would be a good football decision, and an even better PR decision. Who doesn't want to see a homegrown Aston Villa success story playing in the claret and blue he's worn his entire life? Let's hope that a deal is reached sooner rather than later.