Legends of Villa Park: Seven One-Club Men of Aston Villa
3. Johnny Dixon [1946-1961] [430 appearances]
Johnny Dixon was a wiry 5’10” inside-forward who had a ferocious right foot and served Villa for 15 straight seasons. Cutting in from the inside, Johnny was skilled at ball control and passing the ball into the proper gaps.
Johnny’s big moment at Villa came in 1957 when he captained them to FA Cup glory against a mighty Manchester United. It was the first time Aston Villa had won the FA Cup since 1920. McParland scored the winning second goal riding on Johnny’s pin-point accurate cross in the 2-1 victory in the final.
2. Tommy Smart [1920-1934] [452 appearances]
Tommy was one the most capped players at Aston Villa. Only six more men have donned the Villa jersey more times than Tommy.
A fullback with a big heart and nerves of steel, Tommy was impeccable in his reading of game positions. Tommy could run all day long and was a faithful workhorse to Villa for a long time.
He had his most significant moment at Aston Villa when they won the 1920 FA Cup – a feat they next repeated only in 1957. He also made it to the FA Cup finals again in 1924, but sadly this time, Aston Villa ended up on the losing side.
1. Billy Walker [1919-1933] [531 appearances]
Billy Walker is Aston Villa’s all-time top scorer to date. He announced himself as a young, energetic forward in his debut season for Villa by winning the FA Cup with them in 1920.
Billy could unleash ferocious shots at the goal with both his right and left. Not to miss out in the air, he was deadly with his head. A complete package, Billy gave many defenders nightmares during his heyday.
A goal-scoring machine, Billy netted double-digit goals in 12 straight seasons from 1919-20 onward. He also has the unique distinction of scoring a hat-trick with penalty kicks in a League match.
Billy is celebrated as the greatest footballer that Villa ever had. To cement his place as the true legend, BBC named Billy as the player Aston most needed in 2003 when they had their worst goal dry spell.
Checkout: Greatest Aston Villa Players Ever