I cannot remember a player causing such divided opinions. My own stance is that Savo was one of the best strikers ever to appear in a claret and blue shirt (as I said in H&V68) and I was very upset when he moved to Spain. Many people wrote in following his departure saying that they felt he would be successful in Europe. Savo has proved them right and has never looked back since leaving.

I believe he was very badly handled, and too much was demanded of him too soon. When he joined us in June 1995 he was just 21 years old. At the time he was joining a team that had narrowly avoided relegation in the last game of the season. He came with an impressive pedigree, having helped Partizan Belgrade to two league championships and the Yugoslavian Cup, scoring 79 goals in three seasons in the process as well as regular strikes for he Yugoslav national team.

He made his debut in that (rare) 3-1 win over Manchester United. It must have been quite an upheaval to come to a foreign country at so young an age, yet it was not long before media and fans alike started to get on his back. The team did well that season and Savo's part in their success, culminating in an unforgettable goal at Wembley, temporarily silenced his critics.

His second season was fairly forgettable, as was the performance of the team as a whole. There were a number of poor displays - especially when the team was hit by injuries - and the weakness of the squad was clear to see. We just didn't create enough chances and failed to score enough goals, a problem that has dogged us for several seasons. Critics continued to get on Savo's back and he ended up with just nine goals in 29 league appearances.

There were a number of reasons, I felt, for his relative lack of success. He was often played in a supportive role, having to push out wide and create chances instead of taking them. He had poor support from midfield and didn't often get the ball to his feet where he was most effective. Above all, he suffered from lack of confidence; not surprising in view of the abuse from the crowd and his vilification in certain sections of the media.

He did enough, however, to demonstrate that he was a very gifted player - if we had played to his strengths and given him more backing then his time at Villa Park might have been more successful. For a man of his size he has fantastic skill on the ball and an excellent left foot. Savo is brilliant at holding up the ball and very difficult to shake off it. He complemented Yorke very well - Dwight was not the same player when Savo was out of the side. He was one of the few players we have had in the last decade who could take on a player and beat them, but when he didn't succeed every time he was abused for being selfish.

That selfish streak is now standing him in good stead in Spain, for he is above all else an out and out goalscorer and is now proving it in a big way.

Unfortunately he didn't get the chance to prove it in his third season. In spite of being abysmally short of midfield talent we did not invest in this area during the close season. We had three very good strikers in Yorke, Savo and Joachim, yet instead of trying to provide them with a better service we pinned all our hopes on the Messiah returning from Liverpool to his homeland. After all the hype, Collymore was a Villa player. Little tried to play Milosevic behind Stan and Yorke, then dropped Yorke deeper, but the experiment was a disaster. Four straight defeats ended any championship aspirations in the first weeks of the season. Savo was pushed out into the cold and only appeared in half our league games, scoring seven goals plus three in nine cup matches. He was still outstanding on occasions, particularly in Europe, but still never received the acclaim he deserved. I remember after one UEFA Cup game, the supporters ringing the local radio phone-ins were invariably describing their man of the match as "Savo, I suppose".

Contrast the adulation given to Collymore in his first season to the support Savo was given. We all know what Collymore could do. I've just been watching a re-run of Liverpool's epic 4-3 win over Newcastle in 1996, Collymore scoring one and creating another. I remember him scoring at Villa Park that season and wishing we had someone as special as that. Unfortunately we never got the same player. Yet the more inept his performances became, the more we cheered him on, afraid to harm his fragile ego and believing he really would come good.

Savo could not help but notice the unfairness of the situation and created a stir when he voiced his opinion to his own national press. There followed the infamous spitting incident at Blackburn. Whilst I can't condone the way he reacted to the abuse from the Villa supporters, I can understand that this was just the culmination of all the frustration that he must have been storing up inside. Even now the unfairness persists. There are many supporters who won't forgive Savo his one episode, yet are still calling for the return of Collymore in spite of his reckless behaviour both on and off the pitch. The woman bashing, the frequent absences from the training grounds and going AWOL just before a crucial cup game. All this without any hint of remorse, never any sign of an apology to the supporters for betraying their trust.

Savo was again left on the sidelines when John Gregory took over from Little. Gregory must surely be regretting keeping faith with Collymore and letting Savo slip from his grasp. I know who I'd rather have in the side - through the question is academic because now we would have no chance of being able to afford Savo's transfer fee. Zaragoza have reputedly turned down £14 million from Roma and figures of £20 million are talked about.

Savo has blossomed since he left us. I thought he would do well, and am delighted he has exceeded all expectations. His treatment whilst at Villa Park was shameful. I have followed his progress as he became one of the top scorers in Spain in his first season and as I write he is top scorer in the Primera Liga. Forget £23 million flop Anelka and other big names including the great Rivaldo. Savo is the man. His confidence is growing and he is now looking the player we should have developed at Villa Park.