Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill said he wants to keep Wilfred Bouma and Shaun Maloney at the club.

Left-back Bouma's contract expires in the summer but, after a difficult start to life at Villa Park, the Netherlands international has undergone a new lease of life thanks to O'Neill's famed man-management skills.

Bouma has a 12-month option at the end of his current deal, but O'Neill wants the former PSV man to stay for longer.

"I have spoken to Bouma's agent and am hoping to meet him this week," O'Neill said. "There are no problems and we are definitely going to meet up."

Maloney, meanwhile, has had a stop-start run of first-team appearances and, despite enjoying seven consecutive starts in February and March, the Scotland international has not even featured in the past three match squads.

"Maloney has still got a part to play, absolutely no question," the former Leicester and Celtic boss said.

"What's happened is that we've changed it around a little in the past two or three games so we've got a bit more strength in the middle of the park.

"But Shaun can play a number of positions and he's basically just had a rest for the past two or three weeks."

O'Neill has preferred Bulgaria midfielder Stiliyan Petrov to Maloney in a spell which has seen Villa win three on the trot, scoring 15 goals in the process.

Reda Maher / Eurosport