AARON HUGHES last night completed a £1.4m move to Aston Villa and revealed that he was both saddened and excited about leaving Newcastle United after nine years.

The versatile defender was in the Midlands yesterday finalising a deal with Villa chairman Doug Ellis after the two clubs agreed the fee - which did not include terms for Craig Bellamy's proposed move to Villa Park

Ellis is still hoping to persuade Bellamy to join David O'Leary's squad but that transfer has had to be put on hold until after next weekend's Scottish Cup final.

Villa were reluctant to hang around to try to thrash out the double swoop and brokered an agreement with Newcastle to allow Hughes to go yesterday.

The 25-year-old has signed a three-year deal and is relishing the prospect of trying to wake another of football's sleeping giants - something he experienced during eight seasons as a professional at St James' Park.

"The challenges here are very similar to the ones I faced at Newcastle - we need to break into the top six and qualify for Europe at the minimum," said Hughes, who still had two years to run on the Tyneside terms he penned at the start of the season.

"Obviously I am leaving behind a lot of friends in the North-East. Newcastle are a tremendous club and have made me the player I am today.

"I was privileged to work under some great managers there and play with some unbelievable players.

"I would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way and wish the club all the best for the future. But I am now really looking forward to coming back for pre-season here and meeting up with all the Villa lads."

Hughes' departure is somewhat surprising in the sense he was by no means top of Graeme Souness' hit list - with the exits of Bellamy, Patrick Kluivert and Laurent Robert far more pressing.

But the sale of the versatile Northern Ireland captain is another sign of Souness' ruthless streak as he aims to stop at nothing to try to make sure the Magpies enjoy a more successful season next time around.

Since making his debut in Barcelona in 1997 as an 18-year-old, Hughes has gone on to make 278 appearances for Newcastle and has worked under Souness, Sir Bobby Robson, Ruud Gullit, Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan.

He finished last season on the treatment table after surgery on a hernia but is looking forward to regaining full fitness ahead of the new campaign at his second English club.

"I'm feeling quite excited," Hughes said. "This is obviously the first time I have switched clubs so it's all a bit new for me.

"I have managed to have a quick look round the stadium and the training ground and I have been really impressed by what I've seen.

"I think Villa are a very similar club to Newcastle in many respects - both big city clubs, both with great history and tradition and both have struggled to win trophies in the last few years."

Bellamy could still be joining Hughes with his future still firmly in the balance.

The Welshman has put off talk of a move until after the curtain comes down on the Scottish season.

And Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, who has been impressed with the striker since he joined on loan from Celtic in January and would like to keep him, insists talk of Villa agreeing a fee with Newcastle mean very little.

"I wouldn't hold much store by it. Craig Bellamy will make up his own mind about what he wants to do," said O'Neill. "And to be perfectly honest, whatever he does we will abide by that. If Craig Bellamy shows that he would really want to play in the SPL and play with Celtic then my message is loud and clear, we should do everything possible to do that.

"He has become a big hero and has earned that by his performances and he is capable of producing that form, because he's only in his mid-20s, for the next four or five years.

"So it would be in our interests if he is showing that willingness to go and do something about it."

l Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes Frank Lampard can become ''the best player in the world.''

The England midfielder has been an ever-present in the Blues team, having played 156 consecutive games for the club and his 19 goals this season helped Mourinho's men sweep to the Barclays Premiership title as well as winning the Carling Cup and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.

On Thursday night Lampard collected his Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year award at London's Royal Lancaster Hotel to mark the end of a brilliant campaign for the 26-year-old.

''When I arrived in England, I said to many people that in my opinion Frank Lampard could become the best player in the world and that I could help him in that process,'' the Chelsea manager recalled.

''The only thing he did not have was titles and if any player is to be called the best then he must have those. He is beginning to win those now, I have helped him in that and so have his team-mates.

''If we keep winning and he keeps bringing the same high level of performance he does every week to the team, then he can be the best player in the world, no doubt.

''He has the right mentality, the strength of personality, the talent, the fitness, the motivation and the tactical understanding to be the best. He is a great example of what the best is in today's football.''

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