View: Which former Aston Villa player from the Premier League era would Unai Emery draft into his starting XI now?
Aston Villa have had some almighty players at their disposal since the introduction of the Premier League in 1992 with the west midlands club a popular destination for some of Europe’s brightest talents.
The likes of current England manager Gareth Southgate, James Milner and Gareth Barry have blessed the Villa Park pitch with their presence over the years, but if Unai Emery could only pick one player to draft into his starting XI now, who would it be?
Now, this isn’t a judge on who the club’s greatest player in recent years has been, but more who could mould themselves into the requirements of Villa’s new Spanish manager and make the most significant impact in the current team.
Honourable mentions must go to Paul McGrath and fan favourite Juan Pablo Angel, but Dwight Yorke is undoubtedly the pick to sharpen up Emery’s misfiring forward line.
Yorke is undoubtedly the greatest striker Aston Villa have ever had in the Premier League era and would be the perfect foil for Ollie Watkins in the current team’s starting XI.
The Trinidad and Tobago international started his career at Villa predominantly as a winger rather than a striker, with the attacker being remarkably discovered by manager Graham Taylor on a pre-season tour of West Indies in 1989.
He shortly afterwards moved to the west midlands in 1990 and started on the right wing for The Villans owing to his pace and natural dribbling ability.
And although successful in this position, it was from the season of 95/96 that the Claret and Blue faithful saw the best of York, as Brian Little moved him into a forward-thinking role – a position which he would make his own both at Aston Villa and later on Manchester United.
The following season, Yorke would score 17 goals from the centre-forward position and match this with another 17 in the 96/97 season.
Overall, the 72-cap international went on to score 97 goals in 288 appearances at the club, which included a pretty staggering run of 61 goals in 131 games before his move to Old Trafford in 1998.
His crowning moment in the west midlands has to be his goal and man-of-the-match performance in the 1996 League Cup final success over Leeds United – Aston Villa’s last major trophy won.
Not only would he suit Emery’s team tactically – with the striker famous for his partnership with teammate Andy Cole in a 4-4-2 – but his potency in the penalty box was something else.
Possessing a clinical edge and quick feet in front of goal, Yorke was a nightmare for opposition defenders. He was good in the air and also possessed a subtly good passing range.
A forward duo of Yorke and Watkins screams of similarity to his previous partnership with Cole, and a pairing such as this could provide Villa with some much-needed firepower that has been lacking so far this season.
Although his exit from the club left a bitter taste in the mouths of many fans, Yorke was undoubtedly the greatest forward to ever play for Aston Villa, and his achievements at the club shouldn’t be underrated.
In other Aston Villa news, Rory Wilson is set to explode at Villa Park after Steven Gerrard hands over the young talent to Unai Emery.