Dion Dublin hails Aston Villa's appointment of Stiliyan Petrov

Former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin has praised Tim Sherwood's move to bring Stiliyan Petrov back to the club in a coaching capacity.

Petrov, 35, was a fan favourite at Villa Park but was forced to retire following a battle with leukaemia.

The Bulgarian will team up with Sherwood, who won his first game as Villa manager against West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday, and the appointment will only benefit the club, Dublin told talkSPORT.

"He's absolutely buzzing and I think Tim [Sherwood] and Villa couldn't have employed anybody better, he's an absolute genius at what he does," he said.

"If anybody is going to encourage Villa to go forward with a positive mind, with a winner's mentality, you'll do well to find anyone more positive than Tim Sherwood."

Aston Villa face West Brom once more at Villa Park this evening, with the teams vying for an FA Cup semi-final match at Wembley.