Nottingham Forest connections

Aston Villa travel to Nottingham on Thursday for the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final tie against Nottingham Forest (ko 8pm).

It will be the third clash between the two sides already this season, and comes less than three weeks after Villa’s last trip to The City Ground – a 1-1 draw in Premier League action earlier this month.

Unai Emery’s men now look to establish a first-leg advantage against Vítor Pereira’s side, with the two teams sharing a vast list of players over the years.

Here, we take a look at five of the many men who have represented both the Villans and Nottingham Forest…

Peter Withe

One of Villa’s most famous players in history, Withe made an impressive name under Brian Clough at Forest in the late 1970s.

The forward joined The Reds in the summer of 1976, finishing the club’s top scorer in both of his seasons in Nottingham, winning the First Division, League Cup and Community Shield in 1978.

After two years at Newcastle United, Withe arrived at Villa on the eve of the 1980/81 season for a club record £500,000 fee.

The Liverpudlian repaid every penny throughout his five years in claret and blue, finishing joint top scorer in the league in his first season as the Villans were crowned champions of England, before unforgettably netting the winner in the European Cup final the following campaign. He left Villa in 1985 having netted 90 goals in over 200 appearances.

Dean Saunders

A former Wales international with 75 international caps, Saunders arrived at Villa Park from Liverpool in September 1992, with the Villans again breaking their transfer record to bring him to B6 for £2.5 million.

Six goals in his first four league games saw him make a super start to life in claret and blue, as his 16 goals in all competitions throughout his first season came on the way to Villa finishing runners up to Manchester United in the inaugural Premier League campaign.

Two goals came at Wembley in the 1994 League Cup final in which the Villans triumphed 3-1 over United, with 17 goals the following term seeing him named Villa’s Supporters’ Player of the Season.

Saunders left Villa for Turkey, spending one season with Galatasaray before returning to the Premier League with Forest in 1996, though his one campaign at The City Ground ended in disappointment, as they suffered relegation, before the Welshman moved to Sheffield United.

Stan Collymore

Born in Staffordshire, Collymore grew up a boyhood Villa supporter, starting his career at Stafford Rangers before earning a move to Crystal Palace in 1990. Impressive form at Southend United saw him move to Forest in 1993.

A prolific spell at The City Ground delivered 41 goals in 65 league appearances, helping Forest to promotion in his first season and earning him a move to Liverpool.

After two years at Anfield, Brian Little brought Collymore to Villa for a club record £7 million fee.

The striker spent two seasons in B6, scoring seven goals in 46 league appearances before moving to Fulham on loan in 1999, and Leicester City permanently in 2000.

Steve Stone

Something of an icon at The City Ground, Stone began his career in the club’s academy, making over 200 appearances over 10 years as a professional for the club, and was a part of the side which secured promotion back to the Premier League.

The right midfielder moved to Villa Park aged 27 in March 1999, spending over three seasons with the Villans, featuring in the FA Cup final of 2000 and making over 90 league appearances.

After a spell on loan, Stone moved to Portsmouth permanently in 2002, before ending his playing career with Leeds United.

Stone was at The City Ground on the coaching staff as recently as this season, assisting Sean Dyche while he was in charge between October and February. 

Matty Cash

A product of the Forest academy, Cash joined The Tricky Trees aged 17 in 2014, going on to break into the first team, transitioning from a midfielder to a right-back.

He made 141 appearances in Garibaldi Red, being voted the club’s Player of the Season in his final year before moving to Villa in the summer of 2020.

Since moving to B6, Cash has established himself as a mainstay in Villa’s backline and a full international with Poland, making over 200 appearances in claret and blue.

This season, Cash has made 42 appearances and counting for the Villans, netting important goals against Arsenal, Manchester City and Sunderland.