Aston Villa Legends - Profiles of the Greatest Players and Managers of Aston Villa Football Club

So many great players have represented AstonAston Villa Career: (as a player) 1970-1979
Villa in their illustrious history that putting together(as manager)  1994-1998
a list of twelve or so greats is close to impossible.Appearances: 301
Nevertheless, we've given it a go. With apologiesGoals: 82
the great players we've excluded, here is our listLittle played his entire career at Aston Villa,
of Aston Villa Legends. (Current Aston Villamaking 247 appearances and scoring 60 goals,
players are not included).many of them in a prolific partnership with Andy
George RamsayGray.
Position: Forward (later secretary of the club)Joining on schoolboy terms when the club had just
Aston Villa Career: (as a player)  1976-1884dropped into the Third Division, he was part of a
(as secretary) 1884 -1926  successful youth setup, and after progressing
The earliest of Aston Villa legends, Ramsaythrough the ranks he helped Villa back to the First
served the club both as player and secretary (aDivision in the early Seventies.
role that effectively made him manager of theHe was also part of the League Cup winning
team).teams of 1975 and 1977, before a knee injury
He was responsible for transforming the teambrought his career to a premature halt at the age
from a disorganized group playing 'kick and rush',of just 26.
to an effective unit playing the passing game. AndMoving into management he coached Wolves,
he was a skillful player himself with people comingDarlington and Leicester City before being handed
to Villa matches just see him play.  the Aston Villa job in 1994. He led the team to
Ramsay retired from playing in June 1882 butfourth place in the Premiership in 1995–96 and
took up the role of Secretary which he held fromalso won the League Cup. In February 1998, with
1884-1926. During this time Villa won the Leaguethe club in the bottom half of the table he
and FA Cup 6 times each, and establishingresigned after  three years in charge.
themselves as the premier club in England.He has since held managerial posts at Stoke,
Archie HunterWest Brom, Hull, Tranmere and Wrexham with
Position: Forwardlittle success.  
Aston Villa Career: 1878-1890Ron Saunders
Appearances: 367Position: Manager
Goals: 150Aston Villa Career: 1974-1982
Villa's first great captain, Hunter joined the club inA free-scoring centre-forward during his playing
1878, ten years before the commencement ofcareer, Saunders had spells as manager of Yeovil
League football, and remained until the prematureTown, Oxford United, Norwich City and
end of his career in 1890.Manchester City before taking over at Aston Villa
Ensured his status as an Aston Villa legend by- then a second division side - in 1974.
being the first Villa captain to lift the FA Cup, andIn his first season, he guided Villa to promotion
also the first player to score in every round ofand also won the League Cup. He won the League
the cup during Villa's victorious 1887 campaign.Cup again in 1977, and in 1981, led Villa to the
Tragically, during a League match against EvertonLeague title for the first time in 71 years.
in 1890, he suffered a heart attack and collapsed.In January 1982, with Villa in the quarter-final of
He would never play again, and died four yearsthe European Cup, Saunders surprisingly resigned
later at the age of just 35.due to a contractual dispute. His assistant Tony
Billy WalkerBarton took over, and guided the club to
Position: ForwardEuropean Cup glory four months later.
Aston Villa Career: 1920-1933Subsequent moves to rivals Birmingham City, and
Appearances: 531West Bromwich Albion do not sully his status as
Goals: 244an Aston Villa legend
Aston Villa legend, Billy Walker joined the club inDenis Mortimer
1914 and spent his entire playing career at VillaPosition: Midfielder
Park.Aston Villa Career: 1975-1985
A skillful centre forward, he made 531Appearances: 405
appearances, scoring 244 goals, and is the club'sGoals: 36
all-time leading goalscorer.Villa's European Cup winning captain began his
He also stands second on the list of highestcareer at Coventry City, where he made over
appearances and was a member of the 1920 FA200 appearances before moving to Villa Park in
Cup winning side.1975. He made 403 appearances in Villa colours,
After retirement Walker had a successfulscoring 39 goals and winning the League title,
management career, leading both SheffieldLeague Cup and, the crowning moment of his Villa
Wednesday and Nottingham Forest to FA Cupcareer, the  European Cup in 1982.
success.After leaving Aston Villa, Mortimer moved to
Eric HoughtonBrighton and then blotted his copybook somewhat
Position: Forward / Managerby joining Birmingham City. Still, he remains an
Aston Villa Career: 1927-1946Aston Villa legend and one of the club's greatest
Appearances: 392ever captains.
Goals: 170Gordon Cowans
An Aston Villa legend who is often referred to asPosition: Midfielder
"Mr Aston Villa". Houghton played for the club forAston Villa Career: 1976-1985; 1988-1991;
two decades and scored 170 goals in 392 games.1993-1994
He was something of a deadball specialist with aAppearances: 528
powerful shot that yielded 58 goals from theGoals: 59
penalty spot and 30 from direct free kicks.A product of Aston Villa's youth system Gordon
After finishing his playing career at Notts CountyCowans joined the club as an apprentice in 1974,
he went on to become Aston Villa manager andand was part of a successful team that won the
led them to an FA Cup win in 1957.FA Youth Cup. He signed as a professional in 1976
He then had a spell as Notts County managerand made his first team debut as a 17-year-old.
before returning again to Villa Park, this time as aCowans had three spells with Villa broken by
director.stints with Bari and Blackburn Rovers. During his
Trevor Fordcareer with the club he won the First Division title,
Position: Forwardthe European Cup, European Super Cup, and the
Aston Villa Career: 1947-1950League Cup.
Appearances: 128After leaving the club for the final time in 1994 he
Goals: 61played for Derby, Wolves, Sheffield United,
A prolific striker, Ford had a relatively short VillaBradford City, Stockport County and Burnley
career, playing 128 games over 3 seasons andbefore retiring in 1997.
scoring 61 goals. Still, he was the hero of thePeter Withe
Holte End before a British record transfer fee ofPosition: Forward
£30,000 took him to Sunderland. At SunderlandAston Villa Career: 1980-1985
he was even more prolific, hitting 67 goals in justAppearances: 182
108 appearances before another big moneyGoals: 90
move, this time to Cardiff City.Something of a late-bloomer in the game, Withe
Ford retired in 1956 but returned a year later tohad spells in South Africa and the US before
play for PSV Eindhoven in Holland. He returned tosigning for Nottingham Forest in 1976, where he
the Football League and played his last seasonwon the League title. He then spent two seasons
with Newport County in 1960-61.at Newcastle United, and in 1980 moved to Aston
Peter McParlandVilla for a club record £500,000.
Position: WingerIt was to prove an inspired signing as Withe and
Aston Villa Career: 1952-1962Gary Shaw delivered the goals that drove Villa to
Appearances: 340the League title in 1981.
Goals: 120All in all Withe scored 74 goals in 182 appearances
Arguably Villa's greatest player of the 1950's,for Villa, but his status as an Aston Villa legend is
McParland was signed from Dundalk in 1952 for asecure thanks to one strike - the winner in the
fee of £3,880. He spent 10 years at the club,1982 European Cup final against Bayern Munich.
making 293 appearances and scoring 98 goals.Paul McGrath
During this time he won the FA Cup in 1957Position: Defender
(scoring twice in the final), the Second Division titleAston Villa Career: 1989-1996
in 1960 and the League Cup in 1961.  Appearances: 321
He later played for Wolves and Plymouth beforeGoals: 10
finishing his career in the North American SoccerAston Villa legend McGrath began his professional
League with Atlanta Chiefs.career with League of Ireland club St Patrick's
Charlie AitkenAthletic. In his first season he won the PFAI
Position: DefenderPlayer of the Year Award and attracted the
Aston Villa Career: 1959-1976attention of Manchester United.
Appearances: 660He moved to Old Trafford in 1982, but his time
Goals: 16at United was disappointing, plagued by knee
An Aston Villa legend who is the club's all-timeinjuries and an alcohol problem, although he did
appearance record holder with 659 appearanceshelp the club to an FA Cup win in 1985.
spanning an incredible 17 seasons from 1959 toIn 1989, he signed for Aston Villa, where he would
1976.play some of the best football of his life, helping
He was a member of the 1975 League Cupthem to two second-place finishes and two
winning team, and also won the Third division titleLeague Cup triumphs. He also received the PFA
in his time at Villa.Footballer of the Year award in 1993.
Spent the last two seasons of his career playingMcGrath left Aston Villa in 1996, and had short
for New York Cosmos in the NASL.spells with Derby County and Sheffield United
Brian Littlebefore retiring in 1998.
Position: Forward / Manager