By Caroline Cheese

Hendrie is desperate to prove himself to Martin O'Neill

It is now more than eight years since a 21-year-old Lee Hendrie came on as a substitute for his England debut in a Wembley friendly against the Czech Republic.

In a 13-minute cameo, the Aston Villa midfielder created a big impression, dancing through the Czech defence before arrowing a shot just wide as Glenn Hoddle's side ground out an otherwise unspectacular 2-0 win.

His club manager John Gregory hailed Hendrie as the "new Paul Gasciogne", and Gazza himself was full of compliments about England's bright new star.

But the game turned out to be Hoddle's and, most likely, Hendrie's last for England, and the player admits he now looks back on that period as another lifetime.

After losing his place in Villa's first team, the 29-year-old is on loan at Championship club Stoke, where he has become a firm favourite with his inspirational displays in midfield.

"Funnily enough, this spell at Stoke has given me back the confidence of those days when I was in the England squad," Hendrie told BBC Sport.

"I got such good reports from so many different people and to have Gazza speaking about you was unbelievable really.

"Maybe it happened all too quick for me. I'd love to go back to that day and maybe push on a little bit more."

A drink-driving ban as well as a much-publicised split from his wife perhaps did not help his cause and his playing career has rarely been without incident.

He fell out of favour at Villa during Graham Tayor's reign, and a series of nagging injuries have also hindered his progress.

For now, Hendrie's only focus is on playing Premiership football on a regular basis - but with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, he remains unsure where he fits into Villa boss Martin O'Neill's plans.

606 DEBATE: Would you like to see Hendrie return to Villa?

Stoke are keen to extend his loan deal, which expires after Tuesday's game against Cardiff, but if Hendrie is to get his Premiership career back on track, a return might be the better option.

"Villa are my club. I always check their results and it's great to see them doing so well," said Hendrie, who joined the club as a trainee.

"They've got the right manager in Martin O'Neill. His managerial skills seem to be paying off with a lot of the lads and I would relish the chance to work with him."

After seeing their side soar up to seventh in the table since Hendrie's arrival, Stoke fans will be forgiven for praying O'Neill decides against recalling the midfielder.

In turn, Hendrie says his stay at the Britannia Stadium has exceeded his expectations.

"It's been really good," he said.

"Playing in the Championship is very different to the Premiership. To be fair, Stoke have played some good football since I've been here but in general, it's a different standard. It's a little bit hectic.