Stephen Warnock believes Aston Villa have got the potential to grab fourth place at the end of this season.

The former Liverpool leftback told Sky Sports News that Villa have been earning respect for the way they beat the established Top Four sides Liverpool and Chelsea

"Definitely," Warnock told Sky Sports News, when asked if Villa could finish fourth.

"With the players we've got and the way we've played so far this season, the results against Chelsea and Man City, people are starting to sit up and take notice of us and think we're a real threat."

Warnock was not deemed a good enough player at Anfield and was sold by Liverpool's Rafael Benitez. But the left-back confessed that he is still a Reds fan and is not about to criticise the struggling Merseyside club for letting him go.

"I feel for him. There are still a few players there that I know and keep in touch with. I'm a Liverpool fan, I grew up a Liverpool fan, so I always want them to do well," he added.

"I always want them to do well but there is the other side, where I want to finish above them. If we do, I think we'll finish in the top four."

When asked whether he felt foreign players had blocked his path into Liverpool's first team he said: "To a degree, yeah, but I think you've always got to think that if you're good enough you'll come through and you'll play.

"Looking back now at my time at Liverpool I think I could have held down a place if I'd had a good run. It didn't happen. Whether that was due to my own form or foreign players being bought in front of me I'll never know."