Aston Villa legend Dean Saunders believes that his former club are bigger than most Premier League sides, including Chelsea and Manchester City, despite them currently playing in the Sky Bet Championship, reports the BBC.
Saunders, who played for the club between 1992 and 1995, watched on last season as Villa slipped out of the Premier League for the first time since it formed in 1992.
Two managers have since had stints as Villa boss, Roberto Di Matteo was unsuccessful at the beginning of the current season, and was replaced by Steve Bruce in October.
Less than ten years ago, Villa were competing for a European place in the top-flight, but failure to gain Champions League qualification led to an exodus of their star players, something Saunders believes is key to their demise:
"You can go back to the departure of players like Gareth Barry, James Milner and Ashley Young.
"They never replaced them, or even tried to. Until this season they tried to do things on the cheap and that lack of investment is why they have not stayed with the big-hitters.”
Despite Bruce’s side currently sitting 15th in the Championship table, and facing another season outside the Premier League, Saunders considers Villa a huge club, he continued:
"Villa are bigger than Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham and Everton.
"Compare them to Tottenham, who were trying to break into the Champions League at the same time as O'Neill was in charge, or Everton, who are trying to do it now, there is no difference in the size of those clubs. Villa are actually bigger than both of them.”
Villa have picked up vital back-to-back wins over Derby County and Bristol City in the past week, easing fears that the club was set for back-to-back relegations.
Saunders is confident that Bruce, who guided Hull City to the Premier League last season, is the right man for the Villa job, he concluded: “I couldn't have picked a better manager than Steve Bruce to turn things around.”
Bruce’s side will be looking for their third consecutive victory this weekend, when they travel to bottom of the table Rotherham United.
Villa fans… Do you believe your club is still one of the biggest in England? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!