Paul Lambert loves his 24/7 job

“Being so unforgiving is what makes the EPL so special.”

Aston Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground is practically deserted. Not a single player is in sight. Apart from a couple of groundsmen, a security guard and the club’s kitman, the place resembles a ghost town.

One office, however, is occupied.

Inside, Paul Lambert is working his way through a mountain of paperwork as he prepares for the new season, having successfully kept the club in the top flight. On and off the phone to various agents, making final preparations for their pre-season trip to Germany and checking on the progress of the newly-laid training pitches, it’s clear the Scotsman likes to adopt a hands-on policy at Villa.

“You don’t get holidays when you are a football manager,” laughed Lambert. “Well, not proper holidays.

“If you do manage to get away, then the mobile can never be away from your side.

“The only time I manage to properly switch off is when I’m spending time with the kids. Apart from that it is non-stop.

“There is just so much to do. Football management is pretty much 24/7.

“During the season you are always preparing for the next match, and as soon as that one is out of the way, then it is on to the next one.

“You don’t really get time to catch your breath, and it is pretty much the same at the end of the season. You are immediately turning your attention to the new campaign.

“The summer can be a busy time for a football manager so I’m still here, trying to put one or two things in place.”

Lambert has had his work cut out trying to revive the fortunes of the Midlands club after quitting Norwich City, whom he had guided into the Premier League with back-to-back promotions before leading them to a highly-respectable 12th-place finish.

Villa have been in a state of decline since Martin O’Neill departed, with both Gerard Houllier and Alex McLeish lasting no more than a year each as the club embarked on cost-cutting measures. It was a challenge Lambert just wasn’t willing to turn down.

There were times, especially during January, when things seemed to be going from bad to worse, and the former Celtic midfielder must have wondered what he’d let himself in for.

Eventually, his young team managed to turn the corner and show maturity beyond their years as they finished the season strongly to climb out of the relegation zone to safety at the expense of Wigan.

“The club’s owner, Randy Lerner, advised me when I accepted the post that it would probably be the toughest year of my managerial career to date,” said Lambert.

“He wasn’t wrong!

“I met up with my former Borussia Dortmund team-mates a few weeks ago at the Champions League Final and they were all laughing at how stressed-out I look during games. If you want a relaxed lifestyle, then football management isn’t the career for you.

“It was certainly a tough season, but the way we responded during the last four months was really excellent. I can’t praise the players enough for the way they performed during that period.

“There were a number of must-win games and we won them all. We won five out of our final 10 matches and in the end finished 15th in the League. And we achieved that while still looking at the longer term, rather than just short-term.

“This football club had to be rebuilt. That is what we are trying to do. We’ve got a few players in and hopefully more will arrive. We are trying to build a team and squad that can start to take the club forward.

“Remember, it wasn’t just last season the club was in a relegation battle. That wasn’t something new to the club. But we are hoping that by focusing on bringing through younger players, the club can grow.

“This isn’t a one-year plan or even a two-year plan. It is going to take a number of years to turn the club around. The players we signed were all young and they will improve year after year.

“Last season was the first year in the English Premier League for just about all of them, and they’ll be much better players moving forward as a result of that experience.”

As Lambert is showing you around Villa’s plush training ground both Celtic and Rangers’ respective training grounds could easily fit on to the grounds at the same time and still leave space for another pitch or two there is no disguising his pride at what’s at his disposal.

He said: “The facilities here are out of this world. If you can’t enjoy coming into your work with everything that is on offer here, then something is seriously wrong. Villa Park is unbelievable as well.

“Everything is in place to now try and take the club forward.

“The hard part is getting things right on the park, and making sure we are moving in the right direction. But I believe we have made a lot of progress in the last 12 months.

“Now we are entering stage two. There will be some players leaving, and hopefully we’ll be able to freshen up the squad and get ready to go again.

“The English Premier League is so unforgiving. You can find yourself playing the likes of Manchester United at home and going to Chelsea the following weekend. Then it can be Manchester City or Arsenal.

“But that is what makes it so special and a joy to be involved in.”