Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has stated that Joe Cole will become a key player for the club, if manager Paul Lambert plays him in his best position.

The 32-year-old moved to Villa Park from West Ham United on a two-year deal last month.

Hendrie, who has linked up with the Villa squad as they embark on a pre-season tour of the United States, hopes that Cole will be used in his favoured playmaker role.

"I was speaking to Joe on the plane and he was saying he's been playing in a lot of different positions over the last five or six years. As a player sometimes you get pushed out. He was saying about being at Chelsea and playing out wide," Hendrie told the Birmingham Mail.

"He likes to be more in that central role where we know he's going to be effective and he's going to create stuff.

"That's what we've been crying out for. I said that to Joe, it would be great to see him in that central role trying to slip balls through and create a different dimension going forward, which we know he's capable of."

Cole scored three goals in 25 appearances for West Ham last season.