The men we couldn't do without - David Platt

[Rigadon]

Spoon-faced twat.

This and forevermore this.  In my living memory - the start of "one or two great seasons and it's off to *insert more sexy club than Villa". It's probably (it's not really) to his credit that he doesn't pretend (Dwight, I'm looking at you) to care.

[The Edge]

Platt was a brilliant and Important player for Villa and went for a big profit. I don't care if he didn't speak about Villa glowingly after he left, he wasn't a Villa fan like us but he performed on the pitch which is what I care about.

Tend to agree. Rather that than post-career fawning when you were average or shit with us.

I don't think anyone would argue that he was a top player for us. His 4 goals in a 6-2 win against Everton will live long in the memory. I don't crave plaudits for our club off anyone past or present but it's nice when they say how much they enjoyed their time in B6. However Platt grated many a Villa fans nerves once he went on to Bari and Arsenal when he flatly refused to acknowledge his time at the club. I remember how annoyed people were at the time with his blind spot regarding his time at Villa Park. Iirc SGT played a big part in his development here and I've never heard a word of praise for him either. As I said he was a memorable player but I've no fondness towards the guy whatsoever.

He only scored two v Everton. Cowans, Platt (2), Olney (2), Nielsen

Yeah when I said "will live long in the memory" I didn't mean mine. Obviously.

[Accent Guy]

My boyhood hero. I absolutely loved Platty. I was 8 years old when we got promoted back to Division 1 and it was my first season going regularly to games. All I wanted to be when playing football was Platt.

I was fortunate to be at the England semi final when Ollie got the winner against Holland and it brought back memories of Platts goal against Belgium. Being 10 years old and having no affinity to the England national team, I wasnt bothered about the World Cup from an England point of view, but Platt's volley had me screaming like a madman and running around my bedroom.

Don't care what happened after he left as his career was dead to me the moment he went to Italy. I just bloody loved him at the Villa.

[Tayls_7]

My boyhood hero. I absolutely loved Platty. I was 8 years old when we got promoted back to Division 1 and it was my first season going regularly to games. All I wanted to be when playing football was Platt.

I was fortunate to be at the England semi final when Ollie got the winner against Holland and it brought back memories of Platts goal against Belgium. Being 10 years old and having no affinity to the England national team, I wasnt bothered about the World Cup from an England point of view, but Platt's volley had me screaming like a madman and running around my bedroom.

Don't care what happened after he left as his career was dead to me the moment he went to Italy. I just bloody loved him at the Villa.

You had a TV in your bedroom at 10 yrs of age? Posh tw#t.

[PeterWithesShin]

It was 6-2 v Ipswich in the LC when Platt scored 4.

[Accent Guy]

My boyhood hero. I absolutely loved Platty. I was 8 years old when we got promoted back to Division 1 and it was my first season going regularly to games. All I wanted to be when playing football was Platt.

I was fortunate to be at the England semi final when Ollie got the winner against Holland and it brought back memories of Platts goal against Belgium. Being 10 years old and having no affinity to the England national team, I wasnt bothered about the World Cup from an England point of view, but Platt's volley had me screaming like a madman and running around my bedroom.

Don't care what happened after he left as his career was dead to me the moment he went to Italy. I just bloody loved him at the Villa.

You had a TV in your bedroom at 10 yrs of age? Posh tw#t.

Yes really posh growing up in Witton and Perry Barr. The streets were absolutely paved in gold.

[rob_bridge]

My boyhood hero. I absolutely loved Platty. I was 8 years old when we got promoted back to Division 1 and it was my first season going regularly to games. All I wanted to be when playing football was Platt.

I was fortunate to be at the England semi final when Ollie got the winner against Holland and it brought back memories of Platts goal against Belgium. Being 10 years old and having no affinity to the England national team, I wasnt bothered about the World Cup from an England point of view, but Platt's volley had me screaming like a madman and running around my bedroom.

Don't care what happened after he left as his career was dead to me the moment he went to Italy. I just bloody loved him at the Villa.

In the cold light of day that goal is better than Gazza v Scotland, Becks's v Greece and Owen v Argies. Even Greece England would have been in play offs.

Last minute, no comeback against a very capable (albeit slightly past their best) Belgium team and an incredible strike avoiding being offside.

[Accent Guy]

My boyhood hero. I absolutely loved Platty. I was 8 years old when we got promoted back to Division 1 and it was my first season going regularly to games. All I wanted to be when playing football was Platt.

I was fortunate to be at the England semi final when Ollie got the winner against Holland and it brought back memories of Platts goal against Belgium. Being 10 years old and having no affinity to the England national team, I wasnt bothered about the World Cup from an England point of view, but Platt's volley had me screaming like a madman and running around my bedroom.

Don't care what happened after he left as his career was dead to me the moment he went to Italy. I just bloody loved him at the Villa.

In the cold light of day that goal is better than Gazza v Scotland, Becks's v Greece and Owen v Argies. Even Greece England would have been in play offs.

Last minute, no comeback against a very capable (albeit slightly past their best) Belgium team and an incredible strike avoiding being offside.

The technique on that strike was outrageous. Coming over the shoulder and hitting it blind. The timing was impeccable.

My favourite Platt goal though was for us against Arsenal in 89, when he took one touch to outfox the defender* and the second to stab it past the keeper. Brilliant. And what a Christmas week that was!

*Dixon maybe?

[Chico Hamilton III]

He was the voice of the old Villa Clubcall line, in the days before internet when you had to pay a premium rate phone number for latest club and ticket info (Villa’s number, 0898 12 11 48, is etched in my memory).

“Hello, this is Dervid Platt, thanks for calling Aston Villa Clubcall…..”

[eamonn]

My boyhood hero. I absolutely loved Platty. I was 8 years old when we got promoted back to Division 1 and it was my first season going regularly to games. All I wanted to be when playing football was Platt.

I was fortunate to be at the England semi final when Ollie got the winner against Holland and it brought back memories of Platts goal against Belgium. Being 10 years old and having no affinity to the England national team, I wasnt bothered about the World Cup from an England point of view, but Platt's volley had me screaming like a madman and running around my bedroom.

Don't care what happened after he left as his career was dead to me the moment he went to Italy. I just bloody loved him at the Villa.

In the cold light of day that goal is better than Gazza v Scotland, Becks's v Greece and Owen v Argies. Even Greece England would have been in play offs.

Last minute, no comeback against a very capable (albeit slightly past their best) Belgium team and an incredible strike avoiding being offside.

Would it have been VAR'd off?

[rob_bridge]

My boyhood hero. I absolutely loved Platty. I was 8 years old when we got promoted back to Division 1 and it was my first season going regularly to games. All I wanted to be when playing football was Platt.

I was fortunate to be at the England semi final when Ollie got the winner against Holland and it brought back memories of Platts goal against Belgium. Being 10 years old and having no affinity to the England national team, I wasnt bothered about the World Cup from an England point of view, but Platt's volley had me screaming like a madman and running around my bedroom.

Don't care what happened after he left as his career was dead to me the moment he went to Italy. I just bloody loved him at the Villa.

In the cold light of day that goal is better than Gazza v Scotland, Becks's v Greece and Owen v Argies. Even Greece England would have been in play offs.

Last minute, no comeback against a very capable (albeit slightly past their best) Belgium team and an incredible strike avoiding being offside.

Would it have been VAR'd off?

Nope - he was onside anyway. Barnes had a legitimate goal ruled out earlier which would have stood. Who knows what trajectory Platt's career would have taken had it.

[enigma]

I honestly think we have only had 3 genuine World Class players playing at Villa in my supporting life.

As in could readily win a place in Liverpool late 70s+, Juve mid 80s Milan late 80s/early 90s , ManU & RM late 90s/early 00s and more recently and Barca mid 00s to mid 10s and Germany 1990, Brazil 94 etc...

He was one albeit for the final 2 years at Villa. Platt was patchy at Juve (competed with Andy Moller) though was brilliant for Sampdoria and continued to score goals for England for fun.
Yorke is the other 95-98. No surprise they went for at the time astronomical fees and latter made a great team into a legendary one.

The other one surpassed them both by a distance and was born in Ealing

Unfortunately I was a bit too young for platt - I agree on the other two.  I also think emi is world class - he is the best in his position in the world and seems to be the missing piece in the Messi era Argentina

Still amazes me that he spent so long at Arsenal and noone  there realised just how good he is in all that time.