Aston Villa skipper Tyrone Mings says manager Steven Gerrard is pushing the squad to new limits.

Tyrone Mings believes Steven Gerrard has already taken Aston Villa's players to new limits despite the Liverpool legend only joining the club in November. Villa — 11th in the Premier League table ahead of their encounter with Leeds United on Wednesday night — were in an altogether worse predicament in the final throes of Dean Smith's three-year reign, languishing just two points outside the relegation zone and on a run of five successive defeats.

Ad/> Mings also found himself out of the side, but Gerrard's arrival has re-energised the England centre-back and seen him restored as skipper. Premier LeagueCoutinho joins Aston Villa on loan from Barcelona11/01/2022 AT 22:05 In an interview with the Guardian, Mings said: «Steven Gerrard the manager is pushing us to limits that maybe some of the team didn’t know we could go to.

»We’ve had the emergence of some really good young players while for some more established players, their game has gone to another level. «It’s absolutely brilliant [working with him].

'I'm the solution, not the problem' — Arteta responds to Aubameyang criticism West Ham sponsor 'evaluating relationship' with club after Zouma makes starting XI »There are times when you can see Steven Gerrard the captain. Sometimes when he joins in training he still has that winning mentality on the pitch.

/> «When the messaging is so clear, you know exactly what you’re buying into, how to buy into it and how to deliver what he wants. And then when you step on to the pitch, it’s up to you whether you do it or not.» Gerrard's presence was crucial to Villa getting a loan move for Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho over the line — the pair being former team-mates at Liverpool — and Mings revealed the impact the Brazilian has had