Aston Villa striker Andreas Weimann is hopeful that working hard during pre-season will pay off during the opening weeks of the Premier League campaign.

Villa begin with an away trip to Arsenal, and Weimann has insisted that he and his teammates are excited to get the new season underway.

The 22-year-old told the club's official website: "It has been really tough the last few weeks but we've got just over a week to go and I think everyone is looking forward to that.

"You need games to get fit and we've had quite a few – eight games we've played so far – so obviously that has been really helpful for us.

"It is always nice to get a few goals, even if it is just pre-season. I've scored three so far so we'll see how it goes. I think I can score different types of goals, so hopefully I can do that in the season as well."

The Austrian forward scored 12 goals in 38 appearances for Villa last season.

Written by
Darren Plant