Steven Gerrard says Aston Villa are 'further forward' than he imagined ahead of Leeds United clash

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard says his players are 'further forward' than he imagined they would be ahead of his side's clash against Leeds United on Sunday.

Villa are Leeds' second opponents of their tour of Australia, after the Whites beat Brisbane Roar 2-1 on Thursday, with goals from Dan James and Joe Gelhardt securing the victory. Preparations for the new season are set to go up a notch against Villa, who finished 14th in the Premier League last season.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of the fixture he said: “We’ve had a really strong week, really positive. I’m really happy with what I’ve seen on the football pitch and also the application and commitment off the pitch in terms of gym work and listening in the classroom.

“This has been an opportunity for us to really revisit our style and our philosophy of how we want to play over the course of the season.

“Every single one of the players has been all in both on and off the pitch, so I’m delighted with where we are. We’re a bit further forward than I imagined when we came out. We’ve got one more session prior to Leeds and we’re looking forward to the test against Leeds.”