Alex McLeish has backed Tim Sherwood to be a success at Aston Villa after he guided the club to safety in the Premier League and to the FA Cup final last season.

The Scot was manager of the Villans in the 2011-12 season, but the club struggled under his tenure as they finished 16th in the top flight, resulting in McLeish's sacking at the end of the campaign.

Paul Lambert assumed the role from his countryman and enjoyed a two-and-a-half year spell at the club before he met the same fate and was replaced by Sherwood.

McLeish believes that the job at the Midlands side is very difficult, but feels that they should be encouraged by the start that Sherwood had in the opening four months of his tenure.

He told Sky Sports News: "I went in there for a year and, okay, I wasn't the most welcome manager in the world having come from Birmingham.

"It was a tough and difficult year and I think when you see what has happened over the last three or four years since I left that is not an easy job. I think people thought Paul Lambert was going to make it all turn magic again but now Tim is in and there is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel with the cup final, although they were well beaten in that particular final.

"I'm sure Tim Sherwood has got good ideas. I don't know Tim that well but whenever I've met him he's a confident, positive guy and he could be what the club needs."

Villa were defeated 4-0 in the final of the FA Cup by Arsenal.