Cardiff City midfielder Peter Whittingham has said that it will take time for Paul Lambert to mould Aston Villa into a team capable of success.

The 29-year-old came through the ranks at Villa Park before joining the Bluebirds in 2007, following loan stints at Burnley and Derby County.

Villa play host to the Welsh team this afternoon and Whittingham is desperate for three points.

"I came through the youth set-up at Villa, they played a massive part in my career and made me the player I am today," Sky Sports News quotes him as saying.

"It's going to be a great occasion and a match from which we can earn three points.

"Villa have a lot of young players and it will take time. They will make mistakes, but their manager knows what he is doing. He will nurture them and Villa will be okay in the long run."

Cardiff are 12th in the league table.