Leon Bailey hailed a "brilliant" performance from Aston Villa after they thrashed Ajax 4-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League.

Having drawn 0-0 in the first leg, Ollie Watkins opened the scoring for the hosts, before strikes from Bailey, Jhon Duran and Moussa Diaby completed the rout.

And Bailey was full of praise for his team-mates after a dominant display.

He told TNT Sports: "Tonight was a brilliant night for the whole team and the fans. The atmosphere was brilliant.

"We're really happy with the result. We showed good character and spirit. We made it very difficult for them tonight.

"I was happy I could get the second goal, it was much needed.

"I've had a lot of discussions with the manager and he always tries to give me confidence. He always lets me know when I need to step up my game.

"I've been working with the staff members a lot in training about how to get more time on the ball and get more space.

"It's an exciting moment for everyone. We should all be proud of where we are. We've worked very hard to be where we are. Enjoy the moment and stay humble and hopefully we can move further."

Villa captain John McGinn added: "Great performance, a good reaction from the weekend [against Tottenham]. It stung us.

"I'm delighted with some of the players on the scoresheet. A bit of a worry with Ollie Watkins and Diego Carlos — we'll see how they are.

"Its going to lift us definitely. It's been a tough few days. We didn't perform in the big game.

"Tonight was a big game. We showed a reaction."

Unai Emery's side now turn their attention back to the Premier League, with a trip to West Ham next up on Sunday.