Aston Villa have endured a miserable decade, but have shown signs of promise in recent years.
Relegation from the Premier League with an embarrassing 17 points in 2016 sums up how Villa performed in the 2010s. Fighting against relegation in the Premier League and spending three seasons in the Championship has cast a huge shadow over Villa Park this decade.
Despite all the misery, they started the decade with a League Cup final appearance against Manchester United. This seemed to get the 2010s off to a flyer, but it was the peak for the Villans.
Taking all of that into account, here’s a look at an Aston Villa team of the decade.
Goalkeeper & Defenders
Brad Friedel (GK) - Friedel became a cult hero during his four seasons at Villa Park, starting every Premier League game after making the switch in 2008. The American stopper made 131 appearances during his stint at Villa, only featuring on more occasions at Blackburn.
Alan Hutton (RB) - The Scottish right back suffered a shaky start to life at Villa, but made amends during his side's push for promotion back to the Premier League. He made a number of appearances as captain before leaving the club in 2019.
Ron Vlaar (CB) - Before leaving Villa Park for AZ Alkmaar in 2015, Vlaar was the club captain. Villa's demise correlated with Vlaar's departure and his influence was clearly missing in the dressing room. He only made 88 appearances for the Villans before moving back to his home nation.
James Chester (CB) - Chester was named club captain for the 2018/19 season, but missed the second half of the campaign with knee inflammation. After his transfer in 2016, he became a regular starter in the Championship but injuries have limited his availability over the past year or so.
Stephen Warnock (LB) - Villa have struggled to fill the left back spot with a player of great quality this decade, but Warnock seems the best candidate. He was reaching the twilight of his career, but was consistently solid for the Villans.
Midfielders
Jack Grealish (RM) - Starting out as an impulsive talent who made headlines for the wrong reasons, Grealish has since captained his side in the Premier League and thrown his name into the hat for an England call-up. Considering he's only 24, the future seems bright for Grealish.
Stiliyan Petrov (CM) - Petrov's career was unfortunately cut short, as he was diagnosed with acute leukaemia and forced to retire. Petrov was undoubtedly one of Villa's greatest midfielders of the decade and it is such a shame that his career ended early, but the love is still shared between the player and the club.
John McGinn (CM) - A late arrival in this decade, McGinn has certainly made his mark. He has chipped in with 33 goal contributions in 64 games
Ashley Young (LM) - Despite his move to Manchester United in 2011, Young was one of the hottest talents in English football while at Aston Villa. They struggled to replace him, but stats like 96 goal contributions in 191 games are difficult to replicate.
Forwards
Source: 90min
