Gestede can be as effective as Carew for Villa, says Agbonlahor

(Reuters) - Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor praised new signing Rudy Gestede's aerial presence and said the burly forward reminds him of Lions great John Carew. Carew, who scored 37 Premier League goals for Villa between 2007 and 2011, was a towering presence up front and Agbonlahor felt the equally imposing Gestede, who signed from Championship side Blackburn Rovers during the close season, can have the same sort of impact. "Rudy reminds me of John Carew with his presence," the 28-year-old Agbonlahor told the club's website (www.avfc.co.uk). "I don't think there are many defenders that are going to be able to jump with him. He's that good. "He's probably the best I've seen and played with in terms of aerial presence." Gestede opened his Premier League account by scoring in Villa's 1-0 away win over Bournemouth in their Premier League opener and Agbonlahor is relishing the chance to play alongside the striker. "He's my dream sort of player to play with -- a target man like him. I'm looking forward to playing more with him," Agbonlahor said. "There are going to be times where there are different players playing but he's a good asset to have. "He's a nice guy off the pitch too. He's a very humble guy and he works hard so he ticks all of the boxes." (Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)