Aston Villa Manager Gerard Houllier is to be discharged from hospital later this week after a health scare which saw him admitted with chest pains, the club said on Tuesday.

Houllier, 63, was expected to leave hospital in "three to four days" the club said in a statement as the veteran Frenchman expressed his gratitude for messages of support.

"I am extremely touched by all the messages I have received and by the reaction of people throughout the world of football. It has been overwhelming actually," Houllier said in an official statement.

"I'm especially grateful to the Villa fans for their genuine concern and encouragement and to the fans of clubs up and down the country. There has been a groundswell of goodwill and I appreciate this so much."

Houllier's chest pain was caused by a tear in the inner wall of the aorta, causing blood to flow between the layers of the wall of the aorta.

Aston Villa club doctor Mark Waller said tests had shown Houllier's heart was now working "perfectly".

"All the tests have confirmed that his heart is working perfectly. We are extremely encouraged by Gerard's improvement over the past six days and we now anticipate that he will be discharged from the coronary care unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital within the next three to four days," Waller said.

The health scare revived memories of the 2001 incident when then Liverpool manager Houllier was rushed to hospital complaining of chest pains while on the touchline.