ASTON VILLA BOSS Paul Lambert hopes to reap the benefits of Ciaran Clark’s performance for Ireland on Wednesday night.
Faced with the task of handling Borussia Dortmund star Robert Lewandowski, 23-year-old Clark helped keep a clean sheet and scored his first international goal in the 2-0 friendly win against Poland.
Troubled Villa host West Ham United on Sunday looking to end a run of eight games without a win in the league and move out of the Premier League relegation zone.
“I’m pretty sure his confidence will be sky high,” Lambert told the club’s official website. “He played well and he played well in the last game I watched as well. Scoring will definitely help.”
He added: “Ciaran will make mistakes because he is young but in the long run he will be better for it. He will be a top defender.”