English side Aston Villa is interested in West Ham United fullback John Paintsil.

The Mirror newspaper says Villa boss Martin O’Neill is weighing up a move for the Ghana international.

Paintsil has struggled for first team place since the arrival of manager Alan Curbishley.

The prospect of him gaining a starting place has been made even remote because he has failed to get a starting place even though there are several injuries in the squad.

Despite this setback Paintsil says his struggling English side will bounce back next season.

“We’ve had a fresh start this season. I think West Ham will be the team to watch out for next season,” Paintsil said.

“Motivation is not a problem. We’ve got a lot of injuries in the team and we've lost a lot of experienced players as well, but those who are playing are showing a lot of character on the pitch.”

French side Auxerre are also interested in the defender.