10 Greatest Aston Villa Defenders Of All Time
2. Charlie Aitken [1959–1976]
Charlie Aitken was blessed with a fine positional sense, admirable coolness under pressure and blistering pace. He is the record appearances maker for Aston Villa, making 660 appearances.
During the mammoth amount of appearances, Aitken played in three separate divisions, as well as the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup—and the Charity Shield, too. Aitken’s finest moment in a Villa shirt was lifting the League Cup in 1975 as Villa beat Norwich at Wembley.
1. Paul McGrath [1989–1996]
Regarded by many as the greatest player in Aston Villa’s history, Paul McGrath’s name is still the most chanted by the Villa Park faithful.
While at Villa, McGrath played some of the best football of his career, despite recurrent problems in his knees. Villa came close to winning the title in McGrath’s first season, finishing second to Liverpool.
He won the 1993 PFA Footballer of the Year while playing for Aston Villa. During his seven years at Aston Villa, he also won two League Cups. Villa fans affectionately refer to him as ‘God’. He made 253 league appearances for his club and scored 9 goals to his name.