Aston Villa vs Arsenal preview - Bannan expresses regret over drink-drive charge

Posted Wednesday, December 21, 2011 by PA

Aston Villa midfielder Barry Bannan has admitted there would have been "no point in me living" had his drink-fuelled motorway crash resulted in any loss of life.

Bannan had an accident in his Range Rover Sport on the M1 near Watnall on October 23 while over the legal drink-drive limit. He fled the scene and was arrested in a taxi office.

The Scotland international, who only held a provisional licence, was fined #4,500 and banned from driving for 18 months.

Despite this, the midfielder believes he has had a lucky escape.

He said: "It still goes through my head now, it was a huge mistake and I regret everything I've done. It will never happen again.

"As much as I regret it, I'm so lucky to be still here today.

"If I hit another car and killed someone else, then there's no point in me living, really, after the things that would be going through my head.

"I'm lucky to be where I am today."

Bannan was speaking as the new face of the West Midlands Police `Christmas Don't Drink and Drive Campaign', and added that he won't be tempted to repeat his mistakes this festive season.

"It'll still be with me for the rest of my life in the back of my head," he said.

Villa manager Alex McLeish has backed Bannan to put the incident behind him and continue his football education.

McLeish said: "He's got to now totally concentrate and be totally professional and try to make himself the best he can possibly be."

The former Scotland boss also looked to set the record straight over Darren Bent, who despite being injured, was pictured shopping whilst Villa were taking on Liverpool on Sunday.

McLeish believes the club have moved on from the incident, but added that Bent should have remained at home for the entire duration of the match.

He said: "The lad was told to stay at home and rest. He was in here (at the club's training ground) for three or four hours on the day of the game.

"I think he watched most of the game, saw that we weren't going to win it and popped out to the shops. He was out of the house for about an hour. A massive fuss was the result of that.

"If he's guilty of anything then he's guilty of that - he should have stayed for the last 10 minutes."

Bent has not recovered from the thigh injury, while Chris Herd (ankle) will also be out.

Emile Heskey will be missing with an Achilles problem, while James Collins is doubtful for the game, having picked up a knee injury.

However, Gabriel Agbonlahor will return after serving a suspension against Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Laurent Koscielny has no problem helping ease Arsenal's injury crisis by playing at full-back, and has revealed that his friends have grown so accustomed to seeing him in the position that they have started calling him the "white Cafu".

Arsenal head to Aston Villa without any recognised full-backs after a spate of injuries denied Arsene Wenger the services of Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos, Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson.

Johan Djourou played at right-back in Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Manchester City but he had to come off in the second half after suffering a groin injury and will now be out for three weeks.

Wenger heads to Villa Park with Per Mertesacker, Thomas Vermaelen, Koscielny, Sebastien Squillaci and Ignasi Miquel as his only fit defenders - all of whom are primarily centre-backs.

Koscielny has filled in at right-back with varying degrees of success this season, but he insists he is happy playing there and has joked that his friends have become so used to seeing him in the position that they have started making comparisons between him and legendary Brazil right-back Cafu.

"My mates tease me calling me the white Cafu," Koscielny told the Official Arsenal Magazine.

"It's a position I knew as I started as a professional in France at left full-back. At the time, I was playing with Guingamp in the second division and I was very young.

"Obviously, it is not my favourite position but I am happy to help the team and do my best there."

Arsenal will be without Alex Song at Villa Park as he is serving a one-match suspension for collecting five yellow cards this season.