10 Players Who Probably Regret Leaving Aston Villa
9. Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing ended his long-term association with Middlesbrough with doubts over whether he could perform at another club after playing all of his career in the North-East but he soon showed at Aston Villa that he had the quality to perform on both the Premier League and international scene.
However, a successful two years in the West Midlands resulted in interest from Liverpool and given their status as one of the biggest clubs in the world, Downing perhaps felt obligated to accept a move to Anfield.
He had earned the Aston Villa Player of the Year award for the previous season but he never came close to making a similar impression for Liverpool as he ended his first campaign at the club without contributing a single goal or assist in the league, although he did score the winning goal in the FA Cup quarter-final with Stoke City.
The left-sided player improved slightly during his second year in the North-West but five goals in 45 appearances was not enough to tempt Liverpool to keep him and he was sold to West Ham United for a quarter of the £20m they were said to have paid in 2011.
Downing has played an influential role in Middlesbrough's promotion challenge this season but since leaving Villa, he has barely featured for England.