• James Milner praises Aston Villa’s rate of progress
• Midfielder confident league form will not fade again

James Milner followed his man-of-the-match performance in Aston Villa’s exhilarating 6-4 Carling Cup semi-final, second-leg victory over Blackburn Rovers by saying that the development of Martin O’Neill’s team required them to win a first trophy for 14 years.

“The next step for this side is to win a trophy. The owner [Randy Lerner] and the manager have done a great job and the club has changed massively since the last time I was here on loan,” Milner said, referring to the season he spent at Villa Park four years ago.

“Hopefully we are improving year by year and we can show that in the league but also to get a piece of silverware would be great. We know we are going to come up against a quality team whoever it is ­[Manchester City or Manchester United, in the final]. And although it is a great day out for the fans, we’re going there to win.”

Villa last reached a major final a decade ago, when Chelsea beat them in the 2000 FA Cup final. Beyond Brad Friedel’s 2002 Carling Cup winner’s medal and Nigel Reo-Coker’s 2006 FA Cup final appearance for West Ham United in the defeat on penalties by Liverpool, O’Neill’s nominal first-choice side have never experienced a major final. “It is fantastic. I don’t think it has sunk in yet,” Milner said. “It would be my first final and for a few of the boys.”

Milner is confident that Villa’s challenge for a Champions League place will not fade, as it did last season. “It’s about getting that consistency and making sure we put in our best performances,” he said. “It’s down to us to finish the season well. We know what happened last season. We’ve added a lot of strength and quality to the squad.”

Milner will be hoping he has a better League Cup final experience than in 1996 when, as a Leeds United fan, the day ended sourly for him, with his side losing 3-0 and their supporters jeering the then manager Howard Wilkinson at the end. “I was supporting Leeds. I was only 10 [and] remember being disappointed,” he recalled.

His display against Blackburn, in which Villa secured a 7-4 aggregate win, in his new central midfield role confirmed why he is a firm favourite to be selected for Fabio Capello’s England’s squad for the World Cup in South Africa this summer.

He said: “I played there coming through a lot at Leeds in the Under-12s, 13, 14s and enjoyed it very much. When you’re a younger player you see young centre-backs get played at right-back and centre midfielders played wide. It is seems to be the way as there’s not so much responsibility. But wherever the manager plays me, I enjoy it. I’m delighted to be playing in there and I feel I can influence the game a bit more.”

Aston VillaCarling CupBlackburn RoversJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk