EX MARKS THE SCOTT £9M man backed to come good at former club

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SCOTT HOGAN has been backed to start repaying his £9million transfer fee as he goes in search of a muchneeded boost at former club Brentford.

Hogan has struggled to justify the big money Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce invested in him at the start of the year and is still seeking his first league goal of the season.

But defender James Chester believes the 25-year-old striker will come good and hopes his return to Griffin Park may be just the spark he needs.

“It’s been a sticky start for Scott since he came to the club, with

Brentford Aston Villa KO, 7.30pm

injuries and not being in the team as much as he would have wanted, but I’m confident that once he starts scoring, he won’t stop,” insisted Villa’s Welsh international.

“Before he signed for the club, the games we played against him, he was undoubtedly one of the most difficult forwards to come up against.”

He added: “He is always on the shoulder, looking to get in behind you. And for a defender that’s not the way you want to be running.”

While Hogan’s long-awaited return to goalscoring form would be a timely boost for Villa, so too would the elimination of individual errors which have cost Bruce’s side so dearly in their last two matches to put a brake on their promotion push. “We’re paying a heavy price for the mistakes we are making at the moment,” said Chester.

“It is difficult to compensate for them. It is not something that happens too often, so hopefully that’s them out of the way and we can bounce back against Brentford.

“Last season was a really difficult game down at Brentford. They are a decent team.’’

Bees boss Dean Smith wants his men to be TV stars once again.

His team are on the telly when they host Villa and Smith said: “Hopefully we can replicate last season when we won 3-0 in front of the cameras.’’