GARY CAHILL has lavished praise on his central defensive colleague Andy O'Brien - describing him as 'one of the better players in the team'.

The former Aston Villa linked up with Irishman when he arrived at the Reebok Stadium in January, and the pair have gone on to form a dependable partnership in the heart of defence.

Cahill said: ""I can only speak for the time I have been here, but Andy has been one of the better players in the team.

"I always base my performances on trying to play consistently well over a period of time and that is what he does.

"He's set a level and he sticks to that, week in, week out, and he's been terrific for the team."