Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given has urged the club to appoint Norwich City boss Paul Lambert swiftly.

The Irish shotstopper believes that the Scot is the ideal candidate to succeed Alex Mcleish, describing him as a "fantastic manager".

He said: "If Paul Lambert was to come in that would be a great appointment because he's a fantastic manager.

"Every club he's been manager of, he's gone all the way up all the time. If [the board] can get it done soon, it would be great news for the club.

"The sooner the manager is in place the better it'll be for next season. He'll have targets and players he'll want to get in."

Villa are thought to be on the verge of unveiling Lambert as their new boss after he offered his resignation at Carrow Road.