Steve Bruce’s Aston Villa made an ecstatic start to the 2018/19 Championship season with a 3-1 away win over Hull City. Since this meeting, the two clubs have gone to opposite ends of the spectrum, with Villa challenging for Europe in the Premier League and Hull City sitting in second place in League One. The season famously ended with a Play Off final victory over Derby County but it was a long and winding road filled with worry and even a sacking, but Dean Smith lead his club back to the promised land.
GK: Jed Steer – Aston Villa
Villa’s Play Off hero started the first game of the season in goal for Villa but was soon shipped on loan to Charlton Athletic to make way for the incoming Orjan Nyland. Steer was instrumental in Villa’s promotion, coming into somewhat of a goalkeeping crisis and making the position his own during the famous ten wins in a row and an outstanding performance in the penalty shootout away to West Brom in the Play Off Semi Final. Steer was displaced by Tom Heaton and had to compete with Orjan Nyland and later Pepe Reina during the 2019/20 season. Steer still remains at Villa Park but will struggle to replace the outstanding Emiliano Martinez.
LB: Neil Taylor – Aston Villa
Taylor is the only defender to start both this game and the first Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur and can boast of doing so for three seasons in a row, starting with the previous season’s maiden game, also against Hull. Taylor currently resides on the Aston Villa bench, serving as back up for Matt Targett. He’s made three appearances in the 2020/21 season, starting all three in games against Bristol City, Burton Albion and Stoke City all in the Carabao Cup.
CB: James Chester – Stoke City
A modern day legend at Villa Park who gave his all and sacrificed his own wellbeing to get the club back to the Premier League. During defensive turmoil Chester famously played through his injury to ensure that the club he came to love were in the best position possible. The former captain left Villa Park on loan in January 2020 and signed a one year contract after his time at Villa came to an end. Chester made 16 appearances in his first season at Stoke and guided them to a fifteenth place finish in England’s second tier.
CB: Tommy Elphick – Huddersfield Town
The first goal scorer on the night and Roberto Di Matteo’s first signing at after Villa’s relegation, Elphick captained the side and cemented his place in the starting XI in his first season before an injury saw him miss the transition from Di Matteo to Bruce who dropped him from the first team squad. Elphick was loaned out to Reading and Hull before being released in 2019 and signed for newly relegated Huddersfield Town. The former Bournemouth man had to have knee surgery in November 2019 and has struggled to find the form that led him to the Premier League.
RB: Alan Hutton – Retired
‘The Holte End rises for the man they call The Scottish Cafu’. Hutton had a mixed career at Aston Villa, he was one of the most senior members of the squad but had been sent out on three loans during his stint which lasted from 2011 to 2019. He enjoyed a renaissance in his final season, becoming a club icon and leading the club back to the top flight. His goal against Birmingham, in which he ran from his own half, is one of the greatest in derby day history and will always be remembered by the Villa faithful. Hutton was released at the end of the 2018/19 season and announced his retirement in February 2020.
LM: Albert Adomah – Queens Park Rangers
Adomah joined Villa on deadline day of August 2016, with Adama Traore going the other way to Middlesbrough. Adomah was released at the end of the 2018/19 season after helping to guide Villa to promotion, joining Nottingham Forrest on a two year deal. He later joined Cardiff City on a six month loan and then made a permanent switch to QPR in October of 2020.
CM: Conor Hourihane – Aston Villa
Aston Villa’s prayers for a goalscoring midfielder were answered with the signing of Conor Hourihane from Barnsley in 2016. The Irishman bagged 7 goals in Villa’s promotion season and was an integral part in Bruce’s and later Smith’s midfield. The set piece wizard made 43 appearances in the 2018/19 season but has since fallen out of favour, having to compete with John McGinn and Douglas Luiz, which with current form is a challenge for most top flight midfielders. Hourihane moved to Swansea in the 2020/21 January transfer window, heading to Wales until the rest of the season.
CM: Glenn Whelan – Fleetwood Town
Glenn Whelan brought much needed experience to the Villa midfield when he joined from Stoke City in 2017 and played 38 times in Villa’s promotion winning season. He was released in 2019 and joined Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian but did not enjoy his time at the club. He said they’d ‘thrown him under a bus’ and criticised the club over his exit. Hearts struck back with the fans, players and coaches alike saying his commitment was poor and that not one person was sorry to see him go. Whelan joined League One side Fleetwood Town in January 2020 where he will remain until the end of the season.
RM: Ahmed Elmohamady – Aston Villa
Now I know I said Neil Taylor was the only defender to start this game and the game vs Spurs and that is technically true as Elmo served as a midfielder in the match vs Hull. It was a mismatch side during a troubled time but the Egyptian did himself proud and even got on the scoresheet. Elmo remains at Villa Park and serves as an experienced head and back up at fullback.
CAM: Jack Grealish – Aston Villa
What do we really have to say? A superb season for Grealsih was followed by another superb season and surprisingly another one in 20120/21. The talismanic captain claimed the armband the season and lead his club to promotion, with a famous goal against Birmingham City and the goal that secured Villa’s safety against West Ham. Super Jack is here to stay.
ST: Jonothan Kodja - Al-Gharafa SC
Kodjia and Tammy Abraham fired Villa into the playoffs but neither lead the line in the Premier League. Abraham returned to parent club Chelsea and Kodjia was replaced with record signing Wesley. Game time was hard to come by for the Ivorian and he left the club in January 2020, moving to Qatari club Al-Gharafa where he scored a hattrick on his debut. Kodjia scored 9 goals on 39 games in 2018/19 but made just six appearances the following season, scoring none.
The Bench
Henri Lansbury – Aston Villa - Lansbury remains at Villa Park but has struggled for game time, he has played for the U23s but is yet to play in the Premier League in 2020/21.
James Bree – Luton Town – signed as one for the future but never quite working out, Bree joined Championship side Luton on loan in the 2019/20 season and joined permanently in September 2020.
Andre Green – Sheffield Wednesday – Green was loaned to Portsmouth, Charlton and Preston during his time at Villa, never able to cement a place in the starting XI for his club. He joined Sheffield Wednesday on the 14th of January 2021.
Birkir Bjarnason – Brescia – Signed following an impressive performance at Euro 2016, which involved knocking out England, Bjarnason made forty eight Villa appearances before joining Al Arabi in Qatar and later Brescia Calcio in Serie B.
Gary Gardner – Birmingham City.
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy – Pafos – Youngster Hepburn-Murphy was loaned to Derby, Cambridge and Tranmere but was never able to break into Villa’s first team. He joined Pafos in Cyprus’ First Division in July 2020.
Mark Bunn – Cambridge United (Coach) – One of the few players to survive Villa’s relegation, Bunn made eighteen appearances in four seasons and has become a goalkeeper coach at League Two Cambridge after being released by Villa.
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