Glenn Whelan joined Aston Villa following a lengthy Premier League spell.
Roy Keane has praised the professionalism of Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland midfielder Glenn Whelan, speaking to The Irish Examiner.
The Boys in Green are gearing up for a couple of World Cup qualifiers away to Georgia and home to Serbia over the next seven days and the new Aston Villa man will play a role.
Whelan, 33, swapped the Premier League for the Championship this summer by joining from Stoke City and he has already made a positive impression on the Villans’ fans.
The defensive midfielder might not be the prettiest footballer in regards to his style, but eight seasons in the top flight with Stoke would suggest that he is good at what he does.
In that time, the former Sheffield Wednesday man has clocked 291 Premier League appearances, averaging 36 games per season, and Republic of Ireland’s assistant manager Keane has praised the veteran’s on and off-the-pitch routine.
“The beauty about Glenn Whelan is he’s here, always here. Talking about the modern footballer, Glenn Whelan is always here and available for selection,” he told The Irish Examiner.
“We turn up here a lot of times with lads who aren’t here or lads who are carrying knocks. I don’t ever remember Glenn Whelan sitting here and saying is he not fit or carrying a knock.
“He looks after himself, clearly, and now he’s got a decent move to Villa. I wouldn’t be sitting here looking to knock Glenn Whelan.”
He has played every minute of Aston Villa’s five Championship outings this season.
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