"As far as I am concerned I am here at Aston Villa for a season," he said.
"When you let speculation about 'are you going back in January?' get to you it unsettles your game.
"That's definitely what happened in my case about three or four weeks ago. It was on my mind and affecting my game and I didn't really need it."
He added: "It takes your mind off what you've got to try and do in the games for the club you are playing for at present."