Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has heaped praise upon Richard Dunne's performance during his side's 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion.

Dunne, 32, made his first start for almost three months after a broken collarbone to help Villa pick up what could prove to be an important point against their local rivals.

"Richard is a leader, a leader by example. We took a calculated gamble. Richard told me if I needed him, he was good to go. I said 'your presence would be wonderful' and so it proved because he produced a wonderful performance today," said McLeish.

"He headed everything, he read the play, he calmed the players down. It was a real top performance. He was a week ahead of schedule, he's not done much work with the group but, when you are his age, you know your body.

"When Richard volunteered for duty, we bit his hand off."

Villa now sit 15th in the Premier League, four points clear of the relegation zone, although 18th-placed Bolton Wanderers have two games in hand over the Villians.