Players / Managers that have become Villa fans

[mr woo]

Because of our current plight, it seems anyone connected with football is eager to stick their two-bobs-worth in lately. What's struck me though is how many ex-associates of Villa,  be they player, manager or both, have such a great affinity for the club.

This often goes beyond the fondness you might expect from a former patron and the person in question will often use the words 'we' or 'us' while discussing Villa in the media.

So while we've done the celebrity fans to death, how about a thread for those ex players and managers that became genuine fans because of their time here.

Starting with the obvious....

John Gregory.  He wasn't born locally ( assume he wasn't a boyhood fan anyway), we weren't his first club and he played more games for three other clubs than us. Yet he always talks about Aston Villa being his club and apparently still signs some correspondence with a UTV.

So, known fans such as Ian Taylor or Collymore aside, which other players/managers have been converted to the claret and blue side purely by association? The further afield they came from,  the better.

[peter w]

Peter McParland

Alex Cropley

Tony Morley

Ken McNaught

Sir Brian

Sid

Fecking loads ofem.

[richtheholtender]

Alex McLeish

David O'Leary

[dave.woodhall]

It's amazing how many of them suddenly become supporters after their playing careers have finished and they're looking for other work.

[damon loves JT]

I don't see how it's possible to play professional football and be a 'supporter'. the pressures of the game are too strange and all-consuming.

[peter w]

Well not during the years you're playing but you don't change your team even if you have a job trying to beat them.

[JUAN PABLO]

God himself always says we

[Pete3206]

SGT
Colin Gibson
Pat Heard
Des Bremner
Andy Blair

[bones.]

Dion Dublin

[JUAN PABLO]

Dwight Yorke
shaun Teale

[ktvillan]

Gregory was a Spurs fan originally I believe, but has obviously developed a soft spot for the Villa.   

Mortimer seems to care about Villa too. 

[Louzie0]

In the car between jobs today, I heard the first 10 minutes of an interview with Brian Little on TS, from just after midday.  Did anybody else hear it? In which case, what did I miss? (Had to leave for the gig just after he said, 'they're a very young team...'!

[Mortimer's Bear]

Sir Graham.

[Ad@m]

JPA - still celebrates our (all to infrequent) good results on Twitter.

[dave shelley]

It's funny but, reading this thread got me thinking of a slightly different angle.  I always feel that the manager of a club; for the time of his tenure, despite his affiliations and feelings for another club, needs to show that he is a supporter too.  Apart from the obvious that he's getting paid for doing the job.

With O'Leary and O'Neill, I never got that feeling, O'Leary especially, and despite all his leaping up and down I never thought O'Neill got it either.  I may be in the minority but, I believe that Paul Lambert really does.  I think he understands just exactly what an immensely historically institution Aston Villa are and how we as fans see our club, (tactics and methods notwithstanding) which is why I think when he leaves; be it tomorrow or years from now, I think he will be another who chooses to refer to the Villa as us or we.  Just a thought.