Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has revealed that Stiliyan Petrov's presence at Villa Park during yesterday's 4-2 defeat to Chelsea inspired his players.

Petrov, who was diagnosed with acute leukaemia earlier this week, was in the stands to see his side battle back from 2-0 down to 2-2, only to go on to lose 4-2.

Despite the loss, however, McLeish was delighted with his team's performance and reiterated his support for 'Stan' Petrov.

"Stan was with all the boys and they weren't quite sure whether to applaud, cry or hug, but he shook everybody's hand and everybody embraced him. The support for Stan is throughout football," said the Scot.

"He was in before the game and it was great to see him. His presence today inspired a lot of people and the crowd inspired the young players.

"I felt it was a travesty that we didn't get anything out of the game. We are very disappointed but the show of support for Stiliyan Petrov and the team today was fantastic."

Villa currently sit 15th in the Premier League table, just five points clear of the relegation zone.