Sport
An XI of the best Aston Villa players in the Premier League era
For much of the Premier League’s 30 year existence, Aston Villa have been Birmingham’s main representative in the English top flight. Having spent over 25 seasons in the modern top league of English football, Villa’s form has fluctuated from era to era. At times, they have flirted with breaking into the top four and other seasons featured intense relegation battles – to mixed success. Aside from a spell in the English Championship from 2016-2019. With Aston Villa slowly re-establishing themselves a genuine Premier League side, it’s time to reflect on their best ever players in the Premier Leagye era. So see who features in Villa’s all time Premier League XI?
Aston Villa best ever Premier League players
GK: Mark Bosnich
Before Mark Bosnich made ill-fated moves to Manchester United and Chelsea, he had developed into an elite-level goalkeeper with Aston Villa. The Aussie shot-stopper moved to Birmingham in 1992 having been dropped from United’s reserve squad. Bosnich’s speed and guile made him a quick first choice keeper after impressive performances in Villa’s 1994 League Cup success.
Despite Villa often hovering in mid-table, Bosnich’s energetic displays and consistent efforts won plaudits from both fans and managers alike. It was why he was named Oceania’s Goalkeeper of the Century in 1999 shortly before moving back to Old Trafford in 1999.
RB: Steve Staunton
A hard-edged player who could play almost anywhere in defence, Steve Staunton impressed in two separate stints at Villa Park. With excellent vision and a commanding physical presence, the Irishman was an asset to both his colleagues and managers. His first stint began in 1991 after joining from Liverpool and he became a regular in Villa’s initial Premier League squad. His consistent efforts, including being part of the 1994 League Cup winning side, made him a respected part of the team.
Liverpool would take Staunton back to Anfield in 1998 but the Irishman would return just two years later. Upon re-signing with Villa in 2000, the veteran defender helped Villa reach European qualification reaching back-to-back UEFA Cup campaigns. He would eventually leave in 2003 to join recently-relegated Coventry City having spent over a decade at the top with the club and cementing his legacy as one of the best Aston Villa players in the modern era.
LB: Alan Wright
Very few players quite notched up the experience and knowledge that Alan Wright did during his playing career. Most of that time was spent at Villa Park where Wright racked up 260 league appearances for The Villains between 1995-2003.
Wright was always a determined player who took no nonsense as well as displaying tactical awareness both on and off the ball. It was Wright’s presence in defence that helped Villa slowly turn into contenders for European spots. He would also be part of the team that won the 1996 League Cup squad and was a first team starter all the way until he left for Middlesbrough in 2003.
CB: Olof Mellberg
There were very few defenders who commanded their area quite like Olof Mellberg. The Swedish centre-back was a powerful figure in the air and oozed authority whenever he was on the pitch. It was this, combined with his excellent tackling abilities, that made him one of the Premier League’s best defenders for much of the 2000s.
Mellberg was never someone who backed down and it was why he was promoted to club captain in 2006, This came just a couple of years after Mellberg won Sweden’s 2003 Guldbollen award for best Swedish Player in world football. His career was also full of highlights such as scoring the first ever goal at Arsenal’s new stadium in a 1-1 draw and helping them reach a then best sixth place finish in the 20-5.
He would leave in 2008 to join Juventus – not before being given a farewell where he awarded every fan with a free shirt thanking them for their support. A class act through and through.
CB: Ugo Ehiogu
For almost the entire 1990s, the Aston Villa backline was frequently led by the ever-present sight of Ugo Ehiogu fighting off attackers. His physical strength made him a nightmare for strikers to compete against both on the ground and in the air. This, mixed with excellent communication skills, made him the ideal central defender and unquestionably one of the best Aston Villa players in the Premier League.
Ehiogu was part of the Villa set-up from 1991 through to 2000 and helped his side win the 1996 League Cup. It was a record bid from Middlesbrough that prized Ehiogu from Villa to Teesside and ended his decade long run in The Midlands. Ehiogu would sadly die at just 44 years old from cardiac arrest but he is still remembered fondly by many who sing out loud at Villa Park.
CM: Stiliyan Petrov
Stiliyan Petrov was a player who could command games and make it look easily. The Bulgarian midfielder had supreme technical skills which made his passes and set-pieces look effort. Not only could he create goals, he could score them too with stunning long-range drives just as common as his efforts from the penalty spot.
During his 7 years with Villa, Petrov was named Player of the Year twice and made club captain before a leukemia diagnosis stopped his career in 2013. It was only fair then that the all-time Bulgaria appearance holder was inducted into the Villa Hall of Fame in 2013 taking his place in club folklore.
CM: Gareth Barry
For over a decade, Gareth Barry anchored the Aston Villa midfielder and was often considered one of the best and most underrated players in the Premier League. His calm demeanour and passing abilities often linked defence with attack without effort and always remained in position to protect the back line when necessary.
Never missing a game, Barry became the youngest Premier League player to reach 300 games in the top flight aged just 26 in 2007 – a record he still holds. It wasn’t until Manchester City came calling in 2009 that Barry left Villa Park having earned 441 appearances for Villa – the only 21st century player to do that for the club.
CM: Lee Hendrie
Whilst many people may think that Lee Hendrie’s career was understated, he proved himself to be a keystone of Premier League life at Villa Park. Having started his career with the club, Hendrie’s breakthrough came in the 1997/98 season where his driven wing-play and mazy runs gave Villa an extra edge in attack. It was this season where Hendrie was named Villa’s Young Player of the Season and he became a regular starter for his hometown club.
Hendrie’s best form arguably came in the 2000/01 season where he scored 6 goals in 32 games in a season where Villa reached the FA Cup final. As his chances in the first team dwindled in the mid-2000s, Hendrie left the club in 2007 joining Sheffield United and ending an excellent stint in one of the world’s top leagues.
FW: Jack Grealish
Capable of playing anywhere in attack, Jack Grealish is a player who could just make things happen. With silky footwork, threatening dribbles and an eye for goal, Grealish is someone who never lets any defence rests whilst he’s on the pitch. Most of these devastating skills have helped Villa in darker times of their recent history. It was Grealish who broke through into the squad in 2014 although the youngster never got much time to have an impact before Villa were relegated in 2016.
Upon re-entering the Premier League with his boyhood club in 2019, now as captain, Grealish starred in devastating fashion. 8 goals in 36 games made him a must-watch talent for top European clubs and the 2020 Player of the Year Award from the club only cemented that. It would not be much longer before Grealish left however as Manchester City would purchase him just one year later in August 2021 in a £100m deal – making him the most expensive English player of all time. A fitting statement for one of the best Aston Villa players in recent years.
FW: Juan Pablo Angel
Despised by rivals but adored by Villa fans, Juan Pablo Angel was a striker who was as deadly as he was controversial. Angel’s pace and finishing abilities were top rate even if some felt his penchant for diving was unnecessary. However, Angel’s form was always able to silence the critics.
His best season came in the 2003/04 season where he scored 16 goals in 33 games making him 3rd in the season for goals scored. These goals helped Villa to become a regular in the top half of the table and remain a consistent threat to bigger sides. It was in 2007 where the Colombian left England for good signing a lucrative deal in the USA with New York Red Bulls. Angel remains a popular figure today at Villa Park thanks to his regular goalscoring antics throughout his 6 year stay in England.
FW: Dwight Yorke
It was Aston Villa who brought Dwight Yorke over from Trinidad and Tobago knowing they had found a diamond in the rough. Yet it was Yorke’s style that made him a striker before his time. The Trinidadian’s powerful stature was deceptively quick for his size and this was a combination that melted defences with ease. Once Yorke found his form, there was no stopping him.
It was in the 1995/96 season where he scored 17 times in 35 games that showed his true potential and he would back that up notching up three more seasons where he hit double figures for Villa. During his time, he also earned spots in the PFA Team of the Year in 1998 as well as the Premier League Player of the Month award in 1996.
This scintillating form caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson who signed him at the start of the 1998/99 season to lead the frontline at Manchester United. It was a bittersweet departure for Yorke who left his first club to move north and create history with Man. United but he remains one of the best Aston Villa players in recent decades.
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