Pick your own team of the 2010s below with our interactive selector
Friday 20 March 2020 11:54, UK
Former Aston Villa forward Alan McInally provides his team of the decade, after 10 years of ups and downs at Villa Park...
Villa, who were relegated in 2016 having been Premier League ever-presents, came back up via the Play-Offs in 2019, but how many from the latter part of the naughties make McInally's XI?
It's early days but Tom Heaton will prove to be better than the likes of Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan at Villa. I like Heaton, I really do, so he's in there for me.
At right-back I've gone for Luke Young. He wasn't the best football player in the world, but he was a 7.5 out of 10 every time he played, and he never let Villa down. Modern-day defenders neglect the art of defending but he could actually defend.
Richard Dunne has to go in at centre-back because I like big power in the air - and that counts both for and against Villa! Next to him I'll go for big James Collins, who was a real nuisance in the opposition box.
Then there's Ryan Bertrand, who did well when he came in on loan from Chelsea - I had him in my fantasy team, and he did well for me as well.
James Milner was terrific when he was at Villa Park, he was so consistent. John McGinn is a terrific player, he's in purely for his goal threat. Stiliyan Petrov goes straight into midfield, there's no debate about that, though Idrissa Gueye ran him close. And then on the left it has to be Ashley Young.
I'm going to go with Mr Aston Villa Jack Grealish in behind the big front man John Carew. If Christian Benteke was still the Christian Benteke we saw during his time at Villa, he'd have got the nod, but his reputation has been tarnished by his decline since leaving the club.
Heaton; L. Young, Dunne, Collins, Bertrand; Milner, Petrov, McGinn, A. Young; Grealish, Carew.
You've heard from the expert - now you can pick your Aston Villa team of the decade! Choose from a selection of the best players below and put them into your own formation.
