McLeish holds Downing hope - Villa boss keen to keep one winger, but concedes Young will leave

Downing: Is reported to be attracting interest from Liverpool

New Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish is hoping he can convince Stewart Downing to remain at the club.

McLeish was officially unveiled at Villa Park on Monday and walks into a job which will require some considerable fire-fighting.

The Scot knows he has work to do to win over a sceptical fanbase, while he must also address transfer issues regarding his first-team squad.

Adding to what he has already got will be a priority, but it is also imperative that he is able to keep his top stars out of the clutches of a Premier League rival.

It is precisely that situation he faces with Downing, as the England winger has shelved contract talks amid mounting reports that Liverpool are set to swoop for his services.

"No chance do we want Stewart Downing to go. We certainly don't want to lose Stewart," McLeish told talkSPORT.

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