Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has revealed that Stiliyan Petrov could be handed a coaching role within the club when he recovers from his battle with cancer.

The 33-year-old was diagnosed with acute leukaemia a year ago tomorrow after falling ill following a defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates.

While Lambert doesn't expect Petrov to make a decision regarding his Villa future just yet, the Scotsman has claimed that the Bulgarian will be kept at the Midlands outfit in some capacity.

"Nearer the time I will speak with him," the Birmingham Mail quotes Lambert as saying. "We will have to see how he feels. It is a wee bit away. I don't think he could do the stressful job of being a manager.

"I think he would maybe like to work with younger kids or something, if coaching was a field he was going to go down. He was a great player and could give great advice to everyone, but the main thing is he recovers fully from a horrible illness."

Petrov, who has made 206 starts for Villa, will come to the end of his contract in the summer.