Kevin Richardson, a well-travelled and experienced midfielder, capped once by England, was signed by newly-arrived manager, David Jones, on a two-year deal from Gordon Strachan’s Coventry, in the wake of Jim Magilton’s departure and the imminent off-loading of Neil Maddison. At 34, he was never going to be much more than a stop-gap, but Kevin amply performed the role that he explained when signing –

“to win the ball, pass it around and link things up. I like to keep it simple” –

to play his part in a season that, for once, did not climax in a scrap against relegation. Why he then left, midway through his contract,is unknown, but his family never joined him in the south, preferring to stay in the Midlands. He joined Barnsley, just relegated from the Premier League and then dropped down a further level to Blackpool. Kevin’s move into coaching included a stint at Stockport under his fellow-midfielder from his Dell days, Carlton Palmer. In 2009, he went to assist his former Villa team-mate, Steve Staunton, at Darlington, where, coincidentally, Maddison was on the coaching staff.