Who is the greatest Aston Villa player of all time?

From European Cup heroes to modern Premier League stars, this list spans the full history of one of England's most storied clubs. Who is Villa's greatest?

1

Paul McGrath

Iconic Irish defender widely regarded as Villa's greatest-ever player, winning PFA Player of the Year in 1993 despite severe knee problems.

2

Gordon Cowans

Elegant midfielder who made over 400 appearances across three spells, winning the First Division title and European Cup with Villa.

3

Peter Withe

The striker who scored the winning goal in Villa's 1982 European Cup final victory over Bayern Munich, the club's greatest triumph.

4

Dwight Yorke

Trinidad-born forward who scored 97 goals in 284 appearances for Villa before his big-money move to Manchester United in 1998.

5

Charlie Aitken

Scottish left-back who made a record 660 appearances for Villa over 17 seasons, the most in the club's history.

6

Jack Grealish

Villa's homegrown talisman who captained the club back to the Premier League and starred in their European resurgence before joining City.

7

Dennis Mortimer

Midfield captain who lifted the 1981 First Division trophy and led Villa to their 1982 European Cup triumph.

8

Stiliyan Petrov

Bulgarian midfielder and beloved club captain who made over 250 appearances and became an ambassador after battling leukemia.

9

Gabriel Agbonlahor

Villa's all-time top scorer in the Premier League era, a pacey local striker who spent his entire career at the club.

10

Emiliano Martínez

World Cup-winning goalkeeper who became one of the world's best shot-stoppers during Villa's rise back to European competition.

11

Ollie Watkins

Prolific striker who evolved into an England international and European-level performer, scoring crucial goals in Villa's UEFA run.

12

Brian Little

Skilful attacking midfielder from the 1970s who later managed Villa to League Cup glory, a legend on and off the pitch.

13

Christian Benteke

Belgian powerhouse striker who was virtually unstoppable in his peak years at Villa, netting 49 goals in 89 appearances.

14

Olof Mellberg

Swedish defender who captained Villa for five seasons in the 2000s and became one of the Premier League's most consistent centre-backs.