‘Sexy football’: Former Aston Villa midfielder names the ONE current star he’d love to have played with

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has named one current Villa player he’d have loved to have had as a teammate.

Villa got the best of Hendrie’s extensive playing career. Now 48, the midfielder made his senior debut for Villa in 1995 and was still active in non-league football just a few years ago.

Hendrie is a local boy who played more than 250 Premier League matches for Villa and featured in some of the best and worst teams the club has fielded in the last 30 years, so he’s well positioned to have an opinion on the players who’ve represented Villa in that time.

“John McGinn would have to be in my team. Watching John since he came to the club, he’s one of Villa’s best-ever signings for the money we paid,” said Hendrie when naming his Villa dream team for the club’s official website. “His leadership, his drive – I’d have loved to have played with him.”

‘One of the world’s best’

Two of McGinn’s current teammates also make the grade in Hendrie’s Villa XI.

The former Villa midfielder left ex-colleagues David James and Peter Schmeichel on the outside, picking Emiliano Martínez in goal along with England’s man of the moment and reigning PFA Young Player of the Year.

“Having watched him since he arrived, it’s no surprise that he’s one of the world’s best,” said Hendrie. “He was a hidden talent at Arsenal, and he’s fulfilled it here. He’s a big personality on the pitch and one that I want between the sticks.

“Morgan Rogers would be my [right-sided] ten. He’s just class, and he’s striving to go on. He’s big and physical yet he can glide past players with the ball. Last season, he was outstanding. He adds to the flair in this team.”

Lee Hendrie picks his Villa dream team

Hendrie pledges that his team would deliver “sexy football” to “entertain the fans” and score lots of goals. It’s certainly an attacking group and the goals would be almost guaranteed given the creative talent on display in a very unorthodox 3-2-2-2-1 formation.

His second central midfielder is Villa legend Gordon Cowans, widely regarded as one of the club’s greatest players of all time. One of the few players on his level was Paul McGrath, who Hendrie has picked in a back three with Gareth Barry and Ugo Ehiogu.

“I came through as a kid and saw Macca coming into training – not that he trained a lot. He’d spin around on the bike for ten minutes and on the Saturday, he’d get Man of the Match. He was an unbelievable player,” said Hendrie.

Wing-backs Alan Wright and Jlloyd Samuel complete the defence and Rogers is paired behind striker Dwight Yorke – selected just ahead of Ollie Watkins – with Paul Merson.

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