Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph has revealed that he is learning from club captain Stiliyan Petrov.

Delph, 21, has become a first-team regular under new Villa manager Alex McLeish and believes that his game has improved playing alongside the Bulgarian in the centre of midfield.

"He [Petrov] is a great captain. He is brilliant. He is the skipper and he does the job better than anyone. He's played hundreds and hundreds of games at the highest level," Delph told the club's official website.

"He's so experienced and I'm learning loads from him.

"I'm speaking to him. He's speaking to me. There's a good understanding developing there and long may that continue."

Delph joined Villa in 2009 in a £6m deal from Leeds United.