When Christian Purslow first stepped foot into Aston Villa, the team was sitting in the Championship and in a world of bother.
Then managed by Steve Bruce, the Midlands outfit had just lost the play-off final to Fulham in 2018 and nearly entered the abyss of administration.
That’s when the saviours of Aston Villa arrived – new owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris – with Christian Purslow as part of the newly-formed boardroom.
Since then, the fortunes of the club have changed dramatically, including returning back to the promised land, getting into Europe and now pushing for the Champions League.
In the summer, Christian Purslow departed the club, with everything, from top to bottom, in a much better place than when the Englishman first joined.
This was reiterated to the former chief executive, whilst he was on talkSPORT, and he was also told about a chant Aston Villa fans sing about him.
‘Christian Purslow went to Spain in a Lamborghini and brought us back a manager….super Unai Emery’.
He was asked if he had heard the chant, and with a smile on his face, he stated ‘yes, I have heard it’ and how much he enjoyed being with the Aston Villa away fans at Chelsea this season.
Christian Purslow on Aston Villa
“Our special guest, Christian Purslow, who is most recently the chief exec at Aston Villa,” said the talkSPORT host.
“I did ask for texts and tweets. We have got one here from Lee in Stourbridge, who says ‘Guys, can you thank Christian for everything he did at Aston Villa? He played a huge role in taking us out of the dark years under Chinese ownership. He is well thought of at Villa’.”
Purslow responded: “Thanks for reading it. I thought you were going to read something terrible.”
TalkSport host: “We have actually seen a social media thing of you being in the away end at Chelsea where you were jumping around with the Villa fans.”
Purslow added: “I am an ex-football exec, I go to games and I love it. It’s great just being a fan again. As I said, I was a football fan for 44 years living in total privacy and anonymity. I look back on those years very fondly.”
TalkSport host: “There is a song about you, isn’t there?! You went to Spain in a Lamborghini and you brought back Unai Emery. Have you heard it?”
Purslow on the song: “Yes, I have heard it.”
The push for Champions League…
The job Emery is doing is quite remarkable, and whatever happens at the end of the season, he will get a standing ovation from the fans.
Of course, with the team currently sitting fourth in the table. Everyone craves Champions League football.
Recent wins against Fulham and Nottingham Forest have helped matters because it’s well and truly in our hands.
That huge game against Tottenham is around the corner, alongside those Ajax games, so it’s a big boost to hear that Ezri Konsa is back in training.
