Aston Villa are one of the largest institutions in English football and expectations among the fanbase are high.
Unai Emery led Aston Villa back into Europe’s elite competition for the first time in over 40 years last season.
The Spaniard’s incredible tenure at Villa Park so far has been a welcomed change from their previous position in the table, as they regularly battled relegation.
When Emery arrived at the club in October 2022, they were trending dangerously close to the bottom three, and that is something they’ve rarely experienced in their history.
The Villans have only suffered relegation four times, most recently in 2016 when they finished bottom of the table on just 17 points but also in 1987.
- READ MORE: The incredible lengths Unai Emery has now gone to in training to turn Aston Villa form around
Martin Keown was ’embarrassed’ to be seen in Birmingham after relegation in 1987
Martin Keown is an Arsenal legend, playing 442 times for the Gunners while picking up three Premier League titles and four FA Cups.
Many will be old enough to remember Keown joining Aston Villa from Arsenal in 1986 after Villa finished 16th in the old First Division.
A 19-year-old Keown was determined to help them return to their giant status after winning the 1982 European Cup final against Bayern Munich.
Sadly, the defender’s first campaign at Villa Park was one to forget as they finished bottom of the league table, resulting in relegation to the second tier.
Considering Villa had just won Europe’s biggest prize five years earlier, this rapid downfall meant Keown recalls feeling ’embarrassed’ to walk the streets of Birmingham till his side won promotion.
“It was nice to give back to the Villa fan what we’d taken away because it was our fault that we got relegated. And it was a big burden to carry, I can tell you. I didn’t think I could walk the streets of Birmingham, really, until we got promoted,” he said on That Peter Crouch podcast.
“You felt embarrassed because they’d won the Champions League four years earlier. And we were a part of this demise. Never mind the fact that I was Player Of The Year, I took no credit for that, or any joy in that, in that first season.”
Who Keown played alongside at Aston Villa
For the older generation watching Aston Villa, many will be able to remember some of the players Keown played alongside during his three-year stay between 1986 and 1989.
European Cup-winning goalkeeper Nigel Spink, who made a whopping 352 appearances for the Villans, was one individual who played alongside Keown.
Legend Tony Daley was also part of the team that won Europe’s biggest prize and the big centre-back played 45 of his 412 appearance alongside the former Arsenal man.
Other honourable mentions include David Platt, Tony Dorigo and Paul Birch, who all made at least 30 appearances on the same side as Keown.
| Played together with: | Matches | PPG | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigel Spink – Goalkeeper | 61 | 0.98 | 5.287 |
| Tony Daley – Right Winger | 57 | 0.88 | 4.111 |
| Allan Evans – Centre-Back | 45 | 0.96 | 3.637 |
| Paul Birch – Right Midfield | 38 | 0.68 | 2.851 |
| Tony Dorigo – Left-Back | 36 | 0.83 | 3.153 |
| David Platt – Attacking Midfield | 34 | 1.06 | 2.944 |
