ASTON Villa boss Martin O’Neill has hailed Blackburn Rovers’ bravery for taking the gamble on Roque Santa Cruz many were not willing to take.

Rovers snapped the Paraguayan up for a bargain £3.5million in the summer of 2007 after an injury-plagued spell at Bayern Munich.

O’Neill admits most top sides in Europe were tracking the striker’s progress in Germany but revealed no-one was willing to take the plunge because of his track record.

Portsmouth and Aston Villa were just two Premier League clubs linked with Santa Cruz before his move to Ewood Park, but O’Neill believes Rovers deserve credit for making the move.

He said: “I think he is a real quality player. He had fitness problems at Bayern Munich. He was a fantastic signing by Blackburn Rovers and stayed fit throughout the course of the year.

“He seems to be enjoying himself. Santa Cruz is not somebody who just came out of the blue.

"Great credit to Blackburn Rovers for taking him at the time, taking the chance that he would regain that fitness – because fitness was the only concern with him, not his ability.”