foreign bodies

foreign bodies

The trend of foreign players coming to England started to get off the ground in 1978 after the World Cup, but of all the imports there have only been a very small percentage that have really graced our league grounds. Ardiles, Muhren and Klinsmann were some of the best, and I thought Alberto Tarantini did quite a good job, too.

But what about the Aston Villa imports? Let's have a look back at how they've fared.

1. Didier Six.
Signed in 1984-85. Played twelve matches and scored twice.
Best Moment: A superb debut in a 3 -0 demolition of Manchester United.
Worst Moments: The next eleven matches.

2. Kent Nielsen.
Signed by Graham Taylor in 1989, Gave good service to the Villa for three seasons, later played for Denmark's European Championship-winning side.
Best Moment: A cracking 25 yarder against Inter at Villa Park.
Worst Moment: Getting skinned by Klinsmann and a miss-kicked clearance in the second leg leading to Inter's first two goals

3. lvo Stas.
Good one this. Signed by Josef Venglos in 1990. Stayed with us for two years and never played once. Hailed as the new Paul McGrath.
Best Moment: The own goal he scored for us whilst playing for Banik Ostrava in the UEFA Cup.
Worst Moment.. Difficult to say.

4. Dariusz Kubicki.
Signed by Ron Atkinson from Poland. Never commanded a regular place at Villa, Now a regular at Sunderland.
Best Moments: None.
Worst Momenis: Being given the ball.

5 and 6. Stefan Beinlich and Matthias Breikreutz.
Another two of Ron's imports. Spent the best part of three seasons being groomed in the reserves before being sent back home. Last word was that Beinlich had been called into the German national team.
Best Moments: Breikreutz's sweet left foot.
Worst Moments: Neither player adjusting to the English gaine.

7. Nii Lamptey.
Once hailed as the new Pele. Ron brought him in from Anderlecht, then again never gave him a real chance.
Best Moment: A great solo goal at Villa park, even if it was only against Wigan.
Worst Moment: Missing an open goal in his only full league appearance, at Loftus Road.

8. Mark Bosnich.
Hailed by Ron as the best young goalkeeper in the world. One of our more successful imports.
Best Moment: 1994 League Cup semi-final against Tranmere.
Worst Moments: More than just a few dodgy slip-ups.

9. Dwight Yorke:
Signed by Graham Taylor for £10,000. Took a long time to earn a place at Villa Park but now a tremendous player. By far Villa's best import.
Best Moments: The entire 1995-96 season.
Worst Moments: The years he took to get a regular place in the side.

10. Savo Milosevic.
Brian's big buy to score the loads share of our goals. As seen on video. (I'd love to see this video, it would be a best seller in the club shop.)
Best Moment: His goal at Wembley.
Worst Moments: Chose one yourself

11. Fernando Nelson:
Bought by Brian to replace the injured Gary Charles. Looks expensive at £1.75 million.
Best Moments: Good link up player on rare occasions.
Worst Moment: The first goal for Leicester last October.

12. Sasa Curcic:
Villa's record buy at £4 million.
Best Moments: Every time he gets the ball and goes past five or six players with ease.
Worst Moments: Next time he gets the ball he gives it away.

13. Josef Venglos:
Brought in by Doug Ellis after Graham Taylor's departure to the England job. Shown the door twelve months later.
Best Moment: The night against Inter, which earned him a manager of the month award.
Worst Moment: The return leg.

So there you have it. Twelve players and a manager. Difficult to see how this lot would survive a season in the Premiership.

and finally....
John Fashanu (played for England and Nigeria).
Never looked a Villa player in a green and black shirt with his red boots.

David Beire