Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill expects teenage midfielder Fabian Delph to compete instantly for a first-team spot following his £6million move from Leeds.

Delph will wear the Villa shirt for the first time in tomorrow’s home friendly with Fiorentina but O’Neill believes he is ready to make the step up into the Barclays Premier League.

He said: “It will be asking a lot for Delph to step in and make an immediate mark but he is capable of doing that. I have got no doubt at all about him. He is a Premier League player.

“Ashley Young made an incredible mark on the club. I suppose people will think Delph might fall into that category and I wouldn’t want to put too much pressure on him early on but he has got Premier League ability.

“He is not fazed by these things. I am very pleased to have got him. Ideally it would have been great if he had been with us a couple of weeks ago.

“But give him a game or two and he will be flying. He is ready to compete for the Premier League spot.”

O’Neill is continuing to step up his bid to bring in new players before the start of the new campaign, with defence his main priority.

Villa are understood to be lining up a bid of £2million plus £500,000 in add-ons for Newcastle full-back Habib Beye.

Meanwhile, O’Neill has branded England’s friendly with Holland only three days before the start of the new Premier League season as “pointless”.

O’Neill knows the series of under-21 and full internationals that will be staged next week will disrupt preparations for the opening game against Wigan at Villa Park on August 15.