While Aston Villa are gearing up for a clash against Juventus in the Champions League, one of their club legends has just returned to football.
Since the turn of the millennium, Aston Villa have seen several individuals etch their name into the club’s folklore.
As a manager, Unai Emery is threatening to become a club legend, joining many other players and coaches to have achieved that feat.
The list of names since the year 2000 includes strikers Juan Pablo Angel and Gabby Agbonlahor, winger Jack Grealish and centre-back Olof Mellberg, who is arguably one of their greatest-ever defenders.
Mellberg became a colossus at the back for Villa after being signed by John Gregory for £5m in 2001.
The Swedish enforcer made 263 appearances for the club across seven years, with supporters regarding him as a club legend.
What has Olof Mellberg done since retiring in 2014
Mellberg left to join Juventus in the summer of 2008 before completing a tour of Europe in the closing stages of his career, enjoying spells at Olympiacos, Villarreal and Copenhagen.
The bullish centre-back announced his retirement from professional football in 2014 and made the instant leap into management.
Mellberg’s first role was at Swedish club Brommapojkarna, and the former Villa man was an instant success, winning the Division One title in his debut season in charge.
In the following campaign, he achieved back-to-back promotions with Brommapojkarna as they returned to Sweden’s top flight in 2017.
Just months after earning another promotion, Mellberg chose against signing a new contract and has since managed various other clubs, including Danish side Fremad Amager, Helsingborgs and now MLS side St Louis City.
Now 47-years-old, Mellberg was officially unveiled as the manager of St Louis on Tuesday, with a lot of Villa fans excited about the appointment.
Mellberg will come up against Dean Smith in the MLS
Mellberg joins another form of Aston Villa representation in the MLS, as former manager Dean Smith is now the head coach of Charlotte FC.
Smith – who took Villa back to the Premier League in 2019 – enjoyed a successful first campaign in charge of Charlotte as they finished fifth in the Eastern Conference.
Now, ahead of the 2025 MLS campaign kicking off, Villa fans ‘can’t wait’ for Mellberg and Smith to come up against each other.
“Can’t wait to see St Louis sity VS Charlotte,” one supporter said.
“Sir Deano at Charlotte FC and now big Olof Mellberg at St. Louis City SC. The MLS loves AVFC,” another replied.
“Mellberg + Dean Smith are both managing in the MLS now!” a third exclaimed.
“Olof…..meet me in St Louis,” another responded.
“You know. I miss this guy,” a sixth said.
Smith and Mellberg are both clearly popular among the fanbase, and Villa fans will be keeping their eyes peeled for their showdown in 2025.
