10 Players Who Probably Regret Leaving Aston Villa

10. Gordon Cowans

Gordon Cowans is considered to be one of the greatest players to wear the claret and blue shirt but his time at Aston Villa would come over three separate spells.

It's an impressive feat to be held in such high regard after spending three periods of your career at the same club but it also demonstrated that the midfielder was always longing to represent Villa whenever he was given the opportunity.

In a distinguished first spell in the West Midlands, he won the First Division title and a European Cup before spending three years at Bari.

It had been written into his contract that Villa had first option on Cowans should he ever leave the Italian club and both parties agreed to the move as soon as he became available.

Ron Atkinson would eventually sell him to Blackburn Rovers but it wouldn't be long before he returned to Villa once again for another season.

There's no doubt that Cowans would have taken plenty from the experience of playing in another country but his heart was always at Villa and a part of him must wonder if he would have achieved more at the club had he remained in Birmingham.