Saturday 31 January 2015 15:51, UK
Fabian Delph insists leaving Aston Villa was never an option after he snubbed interest from Liverpool and Tottenham to sign a new four-year contract at Villa Park.
There had been huge speculation over the midfielder’s future, but Delph stressed that he is fully committed to staying with Villa and helping them avoid relegation from the Premier League.
"It never crossed my mind, leaving," Delph told Soccer Saturday.
"I can understand why [the fans] are surprised [that I stayed]. I mean, they’ve seen a lot of people in my situation probably move on, but I’m quite a loyal person and I owe this club a lot.
"I owe the manager a lot, he's helped me massively, the chairman, the fans, everybody involved in the football club and it’s about repaying them."
Delph joined Villa in 2009 and has progressed to one of the first names on Paul Lambert’s team-sheet. He even earned himself an England call-up, making his senior debut against Norway in September. Delph insists that his decision to stay at Villa Park will not halt his international progress.
He said: "I really enjoyed it when I went there, I felt really welcomed and when I came back all I could think about was, 'I want a bit more, I want another taste at it.'
"I got in the squad playing for Villa, and hopefully if I keep playing well and keep improving, I can still manage to make the squads."
It has been quite a rise for Delph from the youth team at Bradford to the Premier League with Aston Villa but there is one person in particular he feels should get the credit - his mum.
I owe the manager a lot, he’s helped me massively, the chairman, the fans, everybody involved in the football club and it’s about repaying them.
"She was brilliant with me," he said.
"She dragged me to training from the age of seven, buses, trains, and I’ve got the utmost respect for her, a lot of love for her, a lot of time, and she’s probably my number one idol.
"If I can be half the person she’s been, then I’m sure I’ll be happy and should be alright.
"It was nice, we’ve got some real good memories. We’d spend three-and-a-half, four hours travelling to football sometimes, if we never got a lift. We had great times, great memories, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Obviously we’re all in a better situation now.
"She's delighted to see me do so well, and I keep telling her I owe it all to her. Obviously I’ve got my own family now and my other half has been absolutely terrific with me and we’ve got a little daughter who keeps me on my toes, it’s hard work."
