It might not seem to be an obvious love affair, but Aston Villa fans are becoming very fond of Glenn Whelan.

The 34-year old Irishman scored yesterday as Villa beat Boro 3-0, remarkable in itself as he rarely scores a goal.

He scored just five in 248 starts for Stoke City, but is now bordering on prolific after netting twice for Villa in his 43 outings. Yesterday's strike helped them to a 3-0 win against promotion hopeful's Middlesbrough and ensured that Villans fans are once again a happy bunch.

Much of the response on twitter was not just about his goal yesterday, but also on a goal he didn't score. he missed a penalty against Preston North End earlier in the season in a game which is widely attributed as getting Steve Bruce the sack.

In the eyes of these Villa fans, that makes him a double hero. If he isn't careful, they'll have a statue of him outside the Holte End soon. Here's what they've been saying on social media.