Downing has been in good form of late and his partnership down the right flank with Walker led to both players winning call-ups to the England squad recently. "We are working well together. It is obviously the first time I have played with him, but he looks like a really good player," Downing said in the Birmingham Mail. "Kyle seems to be getting better and better with each game and when he drives forward he is able to give me a few more options on the overlap which is good for me "I am enjoying playing with him and we are playing quite well together." Villa's next game is not until next Saturday, when they face Blackburn in the Premier League, and Downing hopes the rest will do him good after a 1-1 draw on a tough surface at Blackpool last time out. "It did take a lot out of me, especially playing on the wing where I was up and down all the time," he added. "But it is enjoyable because we are playing some good football and I am linking up with Kyle Walker well. "When you are not playing well, and you are getting battered by teams, it perhaps takes its toll a little bit more but we are on the up at the moment despite a couple of draws. "The pitch was a bit heavy at Blackpool and a lot of players were doing a lot of running so we perhaps felt it at times but I felt we put a good shift in. "I kept getting a second wind and then I was able to keep going, and then going again. When you don't get the result you want you want to keep on playing. "But now and again a good break to get everyone rested, back fit and the squad together again can do you good. "This little break will hopefully give us a bit of a hand and hopefully it does to help us push on and climb up the Premier League table."
