Aston Villa's wizard on the wing Ashley Young returns to Reading on Sunday almost 12 months to the day since he first played at the Madejski Stadium for Villa in a match he claims he would prefer to forget.

Young had signed for Martin O'Neill from Watford in a £9.5 million deal just two weeks before Villa travelled to Reading but the player insists he has come on "leaps and bounds" since then.

Villa were defeated 2-0 by the Royals on that occasion and Young felt he did not do much to impress his new team's supporters.

Fast forward 12 months, however, and Young is now considered to be one of the team's greatest assets: he is a real hit with the fans and has also become a full England international.

Young said: "It has been a good 12 months since we were last at Reading and I am looking forward to the game on Sunday just as much as I would look forward to any game.

"I was disappointed after we lost to Reading last season because I felt I missed a few chances when I thought I should have scored. But that's a year ago now and time moves fast in football. Things are going really well now for me and the club."

He added: "Hopefully we can go and get three points on Sunday to keep things going and build on that second half against Newcastle.

"I think my game has come on leaps and bounds since I came to Villa and I am working on things in training all the time with the help of the manager and the coaching staff.

"It helps that the quality players around me are all playing well as well. That helps your game and brings you on. I am still learning and hopefully things can only get better."

Young, 22, has become a master of the assist in the Premier League where his free-kicks and corners have contributed towards many of the goals which have catapulted O'Neill's young side up the table.

They currently sit in sixth place, with a good chance of securing European football this season and have scored the most goals from set-play this season. More than half of their 40 plus shots on target this campaign have come from corners or free-kicks and many of those have been helped along by Young.

He said: "I have set up quite a few goals and that is a credit to the players getting on the end of my crosses and the free-kicks.

"For me to put the ball in and somebody get on the end of it, that's a great feeling.

"To come off the pitch at the end and think I have contributed to three points is even better.

"It is nice to score a few goals but it is also important to be the one that is setting up goals for other people.

"I am in the team to do a job and I want to create goals for others as well score a few for myself. As long as we are winning, however, I don't care who gets the final touch."

Young has himself found the back of the net four times this season and insists there is more to come.

"I set myself targets but I always tick them off in my head I don't tell other people what they are," he said.

"If we can score a few past Reading this weekend then we can keep our European dreams alive. We really believe Europe is a realistic ambition and it is on our hands.

"We have to keep on winning and keep the clubs above and blow us on their toes."