Aston Villa defender Jores Okore has lavished praise on manager Tim Sherwood for the "passion" that he has brought to the club since taking over.

The Villans looked to be heading for relegation when the former Tottenham Hotspur boss took charge, but three consecutive victories in all competitions have seen them edge away from danger and reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

They remain just three points clear of the drop zone with nine games remaining, but Okore is now confident that his side can survive.

"He has come in with a positive mind and he has spoken to everyone and got them all on board. He brought the team together and maximised the strength and potential of the squad. He has so much passion. It rubs off on everyone - it has with the fans and the players," Okore told the club's official website.

"He's inspiring; that helps to get us on board with his vision. I think that passion will continue. He has come in with positive energy and really gone out there and said 'Look guys, I really believe in this and I want you to believe it too. If we do this together, we can achieve the goals we set.' He made us believe that strongly. Everyone is on the same page.

"The mood at Bodymoor Heath [training ground] is electric, everyone is happy and that helps us go out there and really perform and do what we do best. We have had some good wins and we want to continue that and really maximise everything that we have got in the group. We believe we can stay up. We hadn't really performed well in some games at the start of the season but you can really see the potential of the team right now and how we are playing."

Villa, who hammered fellow strugglers Sunderland 4-0 at the Stadium of Light last weekend, take on Swansea City in their next match on Saturday.