10 Former Aston Villa Players They Could Do With Now

8. Curtis Davies

€œI wasn€™t allowed to go on loan in January but was kept as a spare part basically. I didn€™t want to leave Villa - I wanted to go out on loan, play some games then come back and fight for my place. But I was denied that opportunity because I was told I was going to get games and then was not even not involved. To be cast aside was a bitter pill to swallow. My career hadn€™t stalled, it had stopped. I was never worried about my form, it wasn€™t a problem. How can you have a lack of form when you aren€™t playing?€ - Curtis Davies, October 2010.

It€™s fair to say that Curtis Davies won€™t be making the most of his Irish ancestry to declare for Martin O€™Neill€™s side, considering the ill feeling that he harbours towards his former boss. Big things were expected of the former West Brom centre-half when he crossed the Midlands divide to sign for Aston Villa in a £10 million deal six years ago. By his own admission, his debut - a 1-0 reverse at home to Leicester City - did not get off to the perfect start.

€œI was just awful. I didn€™t contribute anything. I€™ve been bigging myself up, saying I€™m ready and obviously I€™m not. I€™m not good enough to get in the team yet. I€™m honest with myself in every performance and that was rubbish - I looked like a pub team player.€ - Curtis Davies, September 2007.

His time at Villa was not a happy one, and he was allowed to complete the triad of Midlands clubs by signing for Birmingham City in 2011, before moving on to Hull City in 2013 where he has since excelled. He has looked calm and composed for Steve Bruce€™s men, scoring in an FA Cup final and even being touted for an England call-up. Villa could certainly do with him now.