Ex- Villa Players still playing watch

[Smithy]

Nathan Delfouenso has just signed a short term deal with Accrington Stanley.... he's 31!

Sobs quietly.

I’m sure it was only a few years ago I saw him play for England under 16s. I was convinced he was the real deal, skill, pace, composure. I’ve given up on spouting  wretched punditry.

You weren't wrong, he had all of those things. But he was also still growing quite a bit at that age, and ended up quite big, and it also doesn't take into account the mental side of the game and what's needed to be a top player.  Nathan certainly had all the physical attributes needed, but maybe he just didn't have the rest of it?  I remember him emerging and thinking we were on a run of really good forward prospects coming through our academy over a 6 or 7-year period. We'd had Vassell, Gabby was in his prime, and now young Nathan following in their footsteps.  Alas, it was never to be.

As fans we often seem to lose sight of the fact that a player who looks incredibly promising at 17/18 can be a completely different player when they finish growing at 21-ish.  It's why I'm so pleased to see a few of our youth team players doing well during their respective loans - how they do in men's football is a much better indicator of their future success than how they get on in youth or youth international games.

[eamonn]

He appeared on the back of an edition of H&V with the tagline something like "Local goalscoring heroes from Gary Shaw to Gabby Agbonlahor via Darius Vassell and the Moores...no pressure, Nathan".

[Risso]

Rushian scored on his debut for Swindon. They lost the match though.

[UK Redsox]

He appeared on the back of an edition of H&V with the tagline something like "Local goalscoring heroes from Gary Shaw to Gabby Agbonlahor via Darius Vassell and the Moores...no pressure, Nathan".

Young Stefan will be 40 next year

[eamonn]

Yep, and his kid plays for Villa tweenies.

[Ad@m]

He appeared on the back of an edition of H&V with the tagline something like "Local goalscoring heroes from Gary Shaw to Gabby Agbonlahor via Darius Vassell and the Moores...no pressure, Nathan".

Young Stefan will be 40 next year

I can't quite believe how promising Luke was as a kid and he eventually retired aged 29!

[Martyn Smith]

Bacuna’s Champions League aspirations remain very much a reality. He’s training at Small Heath.

I think that might be his brother

He has been without a club since leaving Cardiff in June, so there's every possibility he's hooked up with li'l bruv there...

[cdbearsfan]

Quisling, anti-Vax idiot Fabian Delph has had to retire aged 32. Such a shame.

[PaulTheVillan]

Delph can do one. More big injuries than good seasons. Turncoat. No doubt a Tory

[Cliftonville Villlain]

Delph and Sterling - the snakes on a plane. Another Villa captain who took the money. And like Grealish good riddance.

[SaddVillan]

BBC News - Fabian Delph: Ex-England, Man City, Aston Villa, Leeds & Everton midfielder retires aged 32
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63052878

The Snake slithers off
into the undergrowth.

[Drummond]

Delph and Sterling - the snakes on a plane. Another Villa captain who took the money. And like Grealish good riddance.

What's Sterling done?

[SaddVillan]

Delph and Sterling - the snakes on a plane. Another Villa captain who took the money. And like Grealish good riddance.

What's Sterling done?

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/fabian-delph-everton-fans-retirement-28097207

Slithered off into the undergrowth.

[cdbearsfan]

Sterling?

[Dave]

Maybe he's angry and disappointed with the falling rate of the pound?