Alpay - expected back at Villa in July (Allsport)
TAYLOR PLAYS DOWN ALPAY SPECULATION
By John Curtis, PA Sport
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Aston Villa manager Graham Taylor is playing down speculation that Turkish
central defender Alpay wants to quit the club after the World Cup.
Taylor is expecting Alpay - sent off in Turkey's opening group match against
Brazil - to be back at Villa for pre-season training in mid-July.
Alpay was ruled out of action from December until the end of the season with
an ankle injury and has had little contact with Taylor since he took over from
John Gregory in February.
He spent several weeks in Germany having specialist treatment which enabled
him to win his battle to be ready for the finals in Japan and Korea.
But Taylor revealed that he had a meeting with the player in Hong Kong
immediately before the competition got under way and received no indication that
he wanted to leave Villa.
Taylor, also at the World Cup as a television pundit, said: "We spoke in Hong
Kong and he gave me no indication that he wasn't coming back to Villa.
"I shall expect to see him at pre-season training next month. There has been
a lot of speculation that he wants to leave Villa but I certainly didn't feel
that from him.
"Whether that is going to happen or not, we shall see. But as far as I am
concerned Alpay is still an Aston Villa player."
Taylor is still waiting to hear from midfielder George Boateng who handed in a
transfer request after the final game of the season with Chelsea but has since
had no contact with the club.
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