The definition of ‘legend’ is “a person that inspires a story coming down from the past.” Legends aren’t just ‘good’ players or managers. Legends aren’t even ‘great’ players or managers. Legends are in a class of their own. They represent the very best. They’re the ones that people hold up as examples of what kind of player or manager that they want to be. They’re the ones that people tell their children about when they’re growing up. People often talk about players being ‘great’, but the word ‘legend’ is the most overused word in the modern game and the term has now become trite and is even used as a catchphrase on TV.
At Villa, we’ve had our fair share of ‘good’ players, ‘great’ players and a few ‘legends’ thrown into the mix. I say ‘legends’ – ‘legends’ to us Villa fans but not necessarily to the world in general as in Pelé or Maradonna would be viewed in the soccer world.
So who would you see as a true Villa ‘legend’? I’ve seen Juan Pablo Angel being described this week on Twitter as a ‘legend’. Maybe to a younger fan he was the best striker he had seen but to most JBA wouldn’t get in the ‘great’ classification.
How does a player or manager join this exclusive club? Is it the ability to turn a match with a flash of brilliance or the determination to win at all costs? Do ‘legends’ take football to another level, producing moments of magic which people will never forget?
Sometimes a footballer’s greatness extends to his personality rather than his skill. In terms of our club, I could have listed maybe 15 or 20 players who have been called ‘great’ players, but the ones I have featured are generally regarded by most as being the clubs ‘legends’.
Here’s my top 12. Who would be on your Villa ’legends’ list?
Denis Mortimer
Gerry Hitchens
Charlie Aitken
Peter Withe
Peter McParland
Pongo Waring
Gordon Cowans
Brian Little
Johnny Dixon
Andy Gray
Paul McGrath
Billy Walker
The Author
