Staunton will add to his record haul of caps for the Irish this weekend when he lines-up for what will be his 92nd international appearance. But despite not featuring much for Villa this season, Gregory, believes Staunton's influence on the players around him, makes him a very important member of the squad.
"It is a manager's dream to have a player like Steve in your squad," said the Villa boss. "He has an affect on the other players in the way that he goes about his business.
"He trains like a 21-year-old and he makes sure that he gets something out of every single training session. He knows that his body clock is ticking away. When he eventually does retire he will not have many regrets, if any at all."