Famous Players that Played for Aston Villa (All Time List)

Over the past few seasons, Aston Villa have been consistent in the Premier League, gaining a position among the top eight teams. Moreover, since Unai Emery’s arrival in 2022, the Villans have gradually improved a lot, securing 76 wins out of Emery’s 140 matches in charge. However, be it the current setup of the former players, Aston Villa, just like Manchester United or Liverpool, or even Chelsea, have some famous players. In this article, we will look at the famous players that played for Aston Villa.

List of Famous Aston Villa Players

We have kept eight players in this list, considering all the criteria we have listed below to prepare the list for the famous players that played for Aston Villa. This list contains a few players from the current squad, while the others are all former players, who have mostly retired.

Rank	Player	Appearances	Trophies/Achievements
10	Dennis Mortimer	396	Premier League (1), European Champion Clubs’ Cup (1), UEFA Super Cup (1), English League Cup (1), English Super Cup (1)
9	Paul McGrath	317	English League Cup (2)
8	Dwight Yorke	282	English League Cup (2)
7	James Milner	126	—
6	Gareth Barry	439	UI Cup (2)
5	Christian Benteke	101	—
4	Ollie Watkins	223	—
3	Jack Grealish	213	—
2	Andy Gray	200	English League Cup (1)
1	Emi Martinez	212	Footballer of the Year (Aston Villa) (2024)

How We Ranked the Most Famous Aston Villa Players?

There were a few criteria which we considered while compiling this list of famous players that played for Aston Villa.

• Legacy: How important has that player been for Aston Villa and how great an individual he went on to become.
• Social Media Followers: While some players in this list plied their trade in a time when social media was not famous, the others have a great following. Hence, this too, adds to the list.
• Trophies and Achievements: While trophies are not compulsory, but they play a crucial role in judging a player’s contributions to a specific club.
• Individual Honours: Again, this is not compulsory, but its presence only adds glory to the player’s profile.
• Career Stats: Longevity is not a factor, but how that tenure has impacted Aston Villa is important. 

Who is Aston Villa Most Famous Player?

10. Dennis Mortimer

Currently 73, Dennis Mortimer joined Aston Villa back in the summer window of 1975, and went on to represent the club till 1985, after which he joined Brighton & Hove Albion. A technically great central midfielder, the Liverpool-born is one of Aston Villa famous players the club has ever witnessed. He represented the club 396 times, and his impact as one of the most famous Aston Villa players can be that of his statistics – 35 goals and 52 assists! He has won five trophies at Villa Park – one Premier League title, a European Champion Clubs’ Cup (UEFA Champions League), a UEFA Super Cup, an English League Cup and an English Super Cup.

Appearanes	Position	Goals	Assists	Trophies	Social Media Followers (Instagram)
396	Central Midfielder	35	52	Premier League (1), European Champion Clubs’ Cup (1), UEFA Super Cup (1), English League Cup (1), English Super Cup (1)	N/A

9. Paul McGrath

Former Irish defender Paul McGrath joined Aston Villa back in 1989 from Manchester United, and is one of the famous Aston Villa players in this list. He is not only a legend for the club, but fans also deem him as the ‘God’. He featured for the Villans 317 times in between 1989 and 1996, and despite being a defender, scored nine goals and provided four assists during his tenure. He also won the English League Cup twice at Aston Villa, in 1994 and 1996, respectively.

Appearanes	Position	Goals	Assists	Trophies	Social Media Followers (Instagram)
317	Centre-back	9	4	English League Cup (2)	83.9K

8. Dwight Yorke

Former footballer Dwight Yorke joined Aston Villa in 1990 and went on to play for the side until 1998, when he joined Manchester United. A legend for Villa and an icon and the current manager of the Trinidad and Tobago national side, Yorke scored 95 goals in 282 appearances for the club. He also won the English League Cup twice for the Villans. He is among Aston Villa most famous players during the nineties.

Appearanes	Position	Goals	Assists	Trophies	Social Media Followers (Instagram)
282	Centre Forward	95	32	English League Cup (2)	133K

7. James Milner

James Milner, 39, and still playing for Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League spent the formative years of his career at Villa Park and is recognised as one of the famous players that played for Aston Villa. A classy, top-notch central midfielder, Milner amassed 126 appearances for the Villans, recording 22 goals and 26 assists.

Appearanes	Position	Goals	Assists	Trophies	Social Media Followers (Instagram)
126	Central Midfielder	22	26	—	3.5M

6. Gareth Barry 

A stalwart at Villa Park, Barry joined Villa’s U-18 side back in 1997, from Brighton & Hove Albion, and featured for the club until 2009, when he shifted base to Manchester City. In between this period, he won two UI Cup titles for the team and also recorded 52 goals and 47 assists across 439 matches and emerged as one of Aston Villa most famous players.

Appearances	Position	Goals	Assists	Trophies	Social Media Followers (Instagram)
439	Defensive Midfielder	52	47	UI Cup (2)	N/A

Also Read: Top 10 PSG Best Players – 2025 (Ranked)

5. Christian Benteke

One of the lethal centre forwards English football has ever witnessed, Benteke joined Aston Villa back in 2012, from Belgian side Genk. He spent three years at the club before moving to Liverpool in 2015, and scored 49 goals in 101 appearances for the side. He is currently the skipper of Major League Soccer outfit DC United. A former Belgian international, Benteke, although a prolific goal-scorer, did not achieve any major accolades at Villa Park.

Appearanes	Position	Goals	Assists	Trophies	Social Media Followers (Instagram)
101	Centre Forward	49	12	—	645K

4. Ollie Watkins

A member of the current Aston Villa squad, Watkins is considered one of the most famous players that played for Aston Villa in recent times. He joined the Villans back in 2020 from Brentford and has registered 223 appearances for them so far, scoring 87 goals and delivering 42 assists. A prolific striker, Watkins leads the team from the front and emerges triumphant whenever he gets a chance to score.

Appearanes	Position	Goals	Assists	Trophies	Social Media Followers (Instagram)
223	Centre Forward	87	42	—	987K

3. Jack Grealish

Currently playing for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, Grealish is Villa Park’s homegrown lad and also Aston Villa famous players in the previous decade, rising from the youth teams to slowly establish himself as a senior team member. He featured in 213 matches for the senior team, scoring 32 times and assisting on 43 occasions, until 2021, when he witnessed himself being sold to Manchester City for a mind-boggling £100 million. In the 2025-26 season, Grealish might not feature at the Etihad Stadium, since City are considering a sale for the English winger.

Appearanes	Position	Goals	Assists	Trophies	Social Media Followers (Instagram)
213	Winger	32	43	—	8.6M

2. Andy Gray

Scottish by nationality, but a true Villan at heart, Andy Gray, currently aged 69, featured in 200 matches for Aston Villa and is a true legend of the club. During his tenure, he scored 73 goals for Villa and won an English League Cup title back in 1977 for the outfit. Even though he is the oldest player in this list, he is undoubtedly Aston Villa most famous player.

Appearanes	Position	Goals	Assists	Trophies	Social Media Followers (Instagram)
200	Centre Forward	73	13	English League Cup (1)	2.5K

1. Emi Martinez

Perhaps the best goalkeeper in the world post the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he helped Argentina lift the most prestigious footballing title for the first time since 1986, Emi Martinez is a member of the current Aston Villa squad, and their main custodian under the sticks. Having joined the club in 2020, he rose to prominence during his time at Villa Park. He has maintained 70 clean sheets in 212 appearances for the Villans and was also bestowed with the Footballer of the Year award by Aston Villa in 2024. His social media following clearly suggests that he is one of the most famous Aston Villa players.

Appearanes	Position	Clean Sheets	Trophies	Social Media Followers (Instagram)
212	Goalkeeper	70	Footballer of the Year 2024	14.2M

Also Read: Top 10 Most Popular Sports in the World – Currently Ranked