View: The Aston Villa players who achieved greater things after they left Villa Park
Nothing is more painful than watching a former Aston Villa player go on to achieve greater riches elsewhere.
It will certainly happen to almost every Premier League club, but the wealth of talent that has risen through the ranks in the West Midlands before being let go is quite remarkable.
Below is a list of a few names who are unfortunately more renowned for their performances after they left Aston Villa football club.
James Milner
The versatile midfielder was by no means a disappointment at Villa Park, but what he has achieved since departing for Manchester City in 2010 is quite remarkable.
Milner has adapted himself into one of the key cogs in Jurgen Klopp’s works on Merseyside and has won Premier League, a Champions League trophy, Fa Cup and League Cup at both Liverpool and City.
The former England international has recently transitioned into a right-back as well as playing up front for the Sky Blues when they were short of options.
Dwight Yorke
Yorke will go down as an Aston Villa legend after smashing 73 goals in 232 appearances in claret and blue, but his heroics at Manchester United were just as great.
The striker averaged a goal every other game at Old Trafford – 48 goals in 98 appearances – and won the treble in his first season at the club.
The Trinidad and Tobago striker would go on to win another two titles under Sir Alex Ferguson and form a lethal striker partnership that is still remembered to this day with Andy Cole.
Garry Cahill
From an Aston Villa standpoint, Cahill was the one who got away.
Unfortunately, Martin O’Neill got it horribly wrong when he let the centre-back join Bolton Wanderers for just £5million in 2008 after featuring just 28 times in four seasons at Villa.
Cahill has gone on to represent his country 61 times, as well as winning the Champions League, the Europa League, the Premier League and both English domestic cups at Chelsea.
The defender went on to enjoy almost 15 years more of first-team action after O’Neill sanctioned his transfer to Bolton, racking up just under 400 club appearances in this time. A costly error.
Peter Crouch
The fact Aston Villa signed Crouch for £5million in 2022 and sold him for half the price two years later is some mind-bogglingly bad business, considering the riches he went on to achieve later in his career.
The infamous 6ft 7in striker scored just six goals for Villa in 37 appearances but would go on to prove himself a hit at the likes of Southampton, Portsmouth, Spurs and Liverpool.
The forward, who once said he would be a virgin if he wasn’t a footballer, scooped up an FA Cup during his stint on Merseyside, as well as making 42 appearances for England.
David James
When James left Villa Park for West Ham, he quickly established himself as England’s No.1 and would go on to 53 caps for his country.
The shot-stopper also won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008 and had terrific spells at both Upton Park and at Manchester City. The only reason this loss isn’t as renowned as it should be is due to the fact the Villans would shortly afterwards snap up the services of Brad Friedel.
Gareth Barry
After rising through the ranks at Villa Park and making over 350 appearances for the club, Barry left the West Midlands in bitter circumstances, as he publicly requested a transfer to Manchester City.
Although it remains a sore topic to supporters, the riches he went on to amass at the Manchester club are renowned. The midfielder was an integral part of the beginning of the new era, which culminated in Premier League success in both 2011 and 2013.
The Villa stalwart went on to make almost 700 appearances during his professional career before hanging up the boots at West Brom in 2020.
In other Aston Villa news, Carla Ward must find a contingency plan in case Rachel Daly gets injured for her side this season.