Aston Villa: Ranking the Top 5 Players in Club's Premier League History

Aston Villa’s recent history in Premier League cannot be described as one of immense success.  The last few seasons in particular have been defined by relegation-battling tedium.  

However, since the league’s inception in 1992, the Midlands club have enjoyed some successful moments.  A second place finish in the league’s first season, two League Cup triumphs and intermittent spells of European football have been the biggest highlights.  

But who have been the best players at Villa Park in the Premier League era?

Appearances, commitment, success and popularity among fans were all taken into consideration to compile the five best players Aston Villa of the Premier League era.

Honourable Mention

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As always with such a list there are some great servants to the Aston Villa cause who have missed out.

Mark Bosnich, James Milner, Olof Mellberg and Stiliyan Petrov were all strong contenders for the top five. 

Current players such as Gabriel Agbonlahor and Christian Benteke were also close to making the final five but, ultimately, missed out.

Here are the five Villa players who did make the final cut. 

5. Dwight Yorke

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Dwight Yorke may be more remembered for his achievements with Manchester United, but it was his goalscoring exploits at Villa Park which really made his name.

Yorke was signed in 1989 after his talents were spotted by then-Villa manager Graham Taylor in the striker’s homeland of Trinidad and Tobago. 

An eye for the spectacular goal, Yorke went on to net 98 times in 287 appearances for Villa before leaving for Old Trafford in 1998.

Yorke’s highlight in a Villa shirt was undoubtedly his goal in the 1996 League Cup final success over Leeds United.

4. Steve Staunton

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The versatile Steve Staunton was part of a successful Irish trio at Villa Park in the nineties.  Also part of the League Cup-winning side, he played alongside countrymen Paul McGrath and Andy Townsend.  Staunton was seen as a highly dependable performer.

Whether deployed at left-back, centre-back or in midfield, he endeared himself to the Holte End faithful with his consistent displays. 

He joined Villa from Liverpool and returned to Merseyside in 1998 for a two-year spell before heading back to the Midlands.

A second, albeit less successful, spell at Villa Park ended for Staunton in 2003 when he joined Coventry City.  

3. Gareth Southgate

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Defender Gareth Southgate’s career was, of course, defined by the penalty miss which ended England’s participation in Euro ‘96, but his time in a Villa shirt was a highly successful one.

Highlights of his six-year stint at Villa Park included a top-four finish in the Premier League, and two FA Cup semi-finals (1996, 2000).  Southgate also played in the 1996 League Cup win before going on to captain the club to an FA Cup final in 2000, which they subsequently lost 1-0 to Chelsea. 

Despite handing in a transfer request before moving to Middlesbrough, Southgate remains Aston Villa’s most-capped player for England and therefore deserves a spot in the top five.

2. Gareth Barry

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Villa’s modern-day great Gareth Barry made a club record 385 appearances in the Premier League in his 12-year spell in the claret and blue. 

Barry joined the Villa academy in 1997 from Brighton and Hove Albion before going on to amass a total of 440 appearances in all competitions and score 52 times.

He began his career at Villa as a defender before establishing himself as one of the Premier league’s most reliable midfielders, making him an ideal candidate for a place in the top five. 

As captain and penalty taker, Barry went on to become a true leader for Villa before being purchased by Manchester City for £12 million in 2009.

1. Paul McGrath

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Paul McGrath was another of the Irish contingent at Villa Park who would go on to become a huge fan favourite. 

Off-field problems, as Neil Moxley of Daily Mail reported, hindered his career at Aston Villa following his move from Manchester United, but it wasn’t long before he found the form that saw him become a true great.

The centre-back was voted player of the year in four consecutive seasons during his time in the Midlands.  He also picked up the PFA Player of the Year award in the Premier League’s inaugural season, as Villa finished second to the Republic of Ireland international’s former club.

Blessed with fantastic anticipation, he went on to collect two League Cup medals before moving to Derby County in 1996.

His honours, both personal and collective, make him Aston Villa’s best player of the Premier League era.