Hendrie eyes Villa exit

The 29-year-old is currently on loan at Stoke, and is not expecting Martin O'Neill to offer him a new contract when his current deal expires in June. "I don't think I have a future at Villa. There's been no talks of me signing a new contract. I'm disappointed because I've said a few times that I would prefer to stay and I've been at Villa for such a long time. I could have chose nto sit on my backside and play reserve football for the rest of the season but I wanted first-team football and that's why I went to Stoke."

The former England midfielder has tasted just seven minutes of action for Villa this season, against Arsenal on the opening day of the season at the Emirates Stadium, and that appearance, his 308^th for the club, looks to have been his last. He is determined to play in the Premiership again this season with Blackburn, Middlesbrough and Sheffield United understood to be keeping tabs. "It would be great to help Stoke into the Premiership. They were fourth from bottom when I went there and I would regard promotion as one of the biggest achievements of my career."