Sidwell on Rocky road to success

As an aficionado of the Rocky films, and one who named his new baby Rocco in honour of the fictional fighter, Steve Sidwell's view on Aston Villa's presence in the Premier League's top four carries additional clout. "We're not punching above our weight," the midfielder insists. "The league table doesn't lie."

Pressed to articulate what grabs him about the struggles of an ageing pugilist, Sidwell lights up. "I love the idea of someone getting a chance at the big time and proving everyone wrong," he says. Having begun to establish himself as a key member of the Villa side under Martin O'Neill, after spells at Arsenal and Chelsea that ended in frustration, the former Reading player could be describing his own career path.

"Everyone gets knockbacks in their career," says the 25-year-old midfielder, who came to prominence at Reading after an 11-year Arsenal education. "I'm quite a confident person anyway. If doors get shut in my face, I try to find a way round them. It's the Rocky thing. I'm a strong character and always have been; I get it from my dad. I hope my boys turn out like that."

Sidwell watches his favourite movies on DVD and listens to the soundtracks on his iPod before matches. His wife Krystell gave him a print of the boxer for Christmas, having already presented him with a second son as company for two-year-old Harry. "I didn't want to be on holiday somewhere screaming 'Rocky!' across the swimming pool," he grins, "so we went for Rocco." If the long-term aim with Villa is to reach the Champions League, in which Sidwell played just six minutes for Chelsea against Valencia last season, the immediate priority is to see off West Bromwich Albion in today's Villa Park derby. O'Neill's team have lost to lowly Stoke, Newcastle and Middlesbrough, so getting Albion on the ropes is no foregone conclusion.

"Boro beat us at home and we had to go to Arsenal to get our season back on track, but we did it," recalls Sidwell, who missed the first two months of the season with a calf injury. "But the table doesn't lie. We're up there because of our results, whether we've deserved them or not. It's down to us now – we couldn't have asked for a better position to be in at this stage. And we're strong enough mentally, and quality-wise, to stay there."

Arsenal look the most vulnerable of the "Big Four". "I know from growing up there that they won't be worrying about other teams. They know the qualities they can produce on the pitch and they've got one of the greatest managers to get them going. Their mentality is to just get on with the job. Chelsea have dipped in form, but we've just got to keep doing what we can do."

Could Villa's inexperience in such tussles count against them? "Possibly," admits Sidwell. "The majority of the players here are comparatively young, so that could be a factor. But it's more about the quality that goes on the pitch and we've shown that we've got it."

O'Neill hails arrival of the boy who witnessed his dressing-down

Martin O'Neill welcomed Nigel Clough into the League management fraternity yesterday and predicted great things for the small boy Brian Clough used to bring into the Nottingham Forest dressing-room.

The Aston Villa manager, who had a mercurial career under Clough Snr, hailed his son's appointment by Derby County as "great news", adding: "And with a great club as well, a proper club. Nigel deserves the chance too, having done 10 years at Burton Albion.

"I remember him in the Forest dressing room a few times, but that was Cloughie for you. Even Geoff Boycott came in before one game. Nigel would have heard me get bawled out. Maybe he felt sorry for me! With a degree of luck, he should do brilliantly. He's managed at the lower level, but he was a quality player for Forest, Liverpool, Manchester City and England."

O'Neill, who also learned his trade in what is now the Blue Square Premier League, with Wycombe, added: "I'm sure Nigel would have liked to see it through to the title with Burton, but Derby is a great opportunity. I'm sure his Dad would have been really proud of him."