Joleon Lescott 'will stay at Aston Villa in Championship'

Aston Villa defender Joleon Lescott has vowed to stay at the club if they are relegated to the Championship this season.

The 33-year-old has been at the centre of fans' ire in recent weeks after he "accidentally"tweeted a picture of a Mercedes an hour after Villa's 6-0 thrashing by Liverpool before allegedly challenging a fan to a confrontation.

The club are almost certain to drop to the second tier, sitting eight points adrift at the foot of the table, but Lescott has said that he will remain at Villa Park no matter what.

"I'd stay. I'm not going to leave," he told The Times. "There is something wrong with the whole foundations, team, players. Is it one person's fault? No, it's unfair that fans chant they want the chairman out. We're the ones playing. He's very calm, a very nice man. It's a shame.

"Six-nil against Liverpool was embarrassing and it's hard to take. Our confidence is low anyway and when you go 1-0 down, it's harder to pick yourself up.

"I can take the criticism, I'm a grown man. I can look in the mirror and know I have worked hard in my career."

Villa are next in league action when they travel to Stoke City on Saturday.