# 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?

*By YPB Team · Published May 8, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-greatest-aston-villa-player-of-all-time*

---

## Current results (0 votes)

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.

Tags: football, players, british, premier league, england