2008–09 Aston Villa F.C. season


The 2008–09 season was Aston Villa's 134th professional season; their 98th season in the top-flight and their 21st consecutive season in the top flight of English football, the Premier League. They were managed by Martin O'Neill – in his third season since replacing David O'Leary. The 2008–09 season was the first spell in European competition for O'Neill, and the first for Villa, in 6 seasons.
The club's first summer signing was the permanent capture of on-loan West Brom centre-back, Curtis Davies, in July, while their first sale was made in May, as Luke Moore completed a move to West Brom in an initial £3 million deal, after he had spent the second half of the 2007–08 season there on loan.
The fixtures for the 2008–09 season were announced on Monday 16 June 2008, with Aston Villa beginning at home against Manchester City and finishing the season at home to Newcastle. Due to Birmingham's relegation at the end of the 2007–08 season, there was no Second City derby, however they faced local rivals West Brom on 20 September 2008 at The Hawthorns and on 10 January 2009 at home.

Players

First-team squad

Left club during season

Reserve squad

Youth squad

Other players

Trialists

Transfers

Summer

Defender Curtis Davies signed a permanent deal at Aston Villa after a loan spell. English midfielder Steve Sidwell joined from Chelsea on 10 July 2008. On 26 July 2008, former USA shot-stopper Brad Friedel signed from Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee, thought to be £2million. On 7 August 2008 Aston Villa completed the signing of Nicky Shorey on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Also on 7 August 2008, Aston Villa completed the signing of Luke Young in a deal that could reach £6 million, on a three-year contract. On 12 August 2008, Aston Villa signed Carlos Cuéllar in a deal worth £7.8 million on a four-year contract. Villa's offer had triggered a release clause in Cuéllar's contract with Rangers.
Luke Moore made his loan move to West Bromwich Albion a permanent deal Defender Olof Mellberg left the club to sign for Italian giants Juventus after seven years at Aston Villa. Thomas Sørensen was also released at the end of his contract after 5 years of service, Stoke City eventually signed the Denmark international on a free transfer. Twins Damian and Yago Bellon left Villa after 2 years with the club, as Damian signed for FC Vaduz in Liechtenstein, whilst Yago joined Swiss side FC St. Gallen. Elsewhere, Irish youngster Danny Earls joined American USL team Rochester Rhinos, and defender Erik Lund returned home to join IFK Göteborg in Sweden. Lund was the only released youngster who played for the first-team during his time with the club, coming on as a substitute in a pre-season victory over Walsall in August 2007. Shaun Maloney was the last to leave the club in the summer transfer window, returning to Celtic after a frustrating spell under Martin O'Neill.
In
3 July 2008DF Curtis DaviesWest Bromwich AlbionUndisclosed
10 July 2008MF Steve SidwellChelsea£5,000,000
26 July 2008GK Brad FriedelBlackburn RoversUndisclosed
1 August 2008GK Brad GuzanChivas USA£600,000
7 August 2008DF Nicky ShoreyReadingUndisclosed
7 August 2008DF Luke YoungMiddlesbrough£6,000,000
12 August 2008DF Carlos CuéllarRangers£7,800,000
29 August 2008MF James MilnerNewcastle United£12,000,000

Out
DatePos.NameToFee
28 May 2008FW Luke MooreWest Bromwich Albion£3,000,000
29 May 2008MF Patrik BergerSparta PragueFree
1 July 2008DF Olof MellbergJuventusFree
1 July 2008GK Thomas SørensenStoke CityFree
1 July 2008MF Yagó BellónSt. GallenFree
1 July 2008MF Damian BellónFC VaduzFree
1 July 2008DF Erik LundIFK GothenburgFree
1 July 2008MF Danny EarlsRochester RhinosFree
22 August 2008FW Shaun MaloneyCelticUndisclosed

Winter

On 2 January 2009, Wayne Routledge signed a -year deal with Queens Park Rangers, following a loan spell at fellow Championship club Cardiff City. Villa confirmed their first signing of the window four days later, in the form of 17-year-old Dutch defender Arsenio Halfhuid from SBV Excelsior, who signed for an undisclosed fee. On 23 January 2009, Emile Heskey followed, signing for £3.5 million from Wigan Athletic. Young winger Zoltán Stieber was the final player to leave Villa Park during January, as he signed for TuS Koblenz for an undisclosed fee, after failing to break into the first-team. Swiss U17 goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist also signed from FC Basel during this month.
;In
DatePos.NameFromFee
7 January 2009DF Arsenio HalfhuidExcelsiorUndisclosed
15 January 2009GK Benjamin SiegristFC BaselUndisclosed
23 January 2009FW Emile HeskeyWigan Athletic£3,500,000

;Out
DatePos.NameToFee
2 January 2009MF Wayne RoutledgeQueens Park RangersUndisclosed
29 January 2009MF Zoltán StieberTuS KoblenzFree

Out on loan

Competitions

Overall

Final league table

Results summary

Matches

Pre-season friendlies

First-Team

Reserves

Academy

Statistics

Player statistics

First-Team

No.Pos.NationalityPlayerApps Goals Assists YC RCTotal AppsTotal Goals
1GK United States460011460
2DF England431070431
3DF Netherlands20000901
4MF England254161254
5DF Denmark2442109111
6MF England488910044052
7MF England489158110019
8MF England436870799
9FW England151310407
10FW Norway34154307831
11FW England4813104013935
13GK England20000170
14FW England133010133
15DF England451130592
16DF England261010542
17MF Togo90100130
18FW England142000142
19MF Bulgaria4724901125
20MF England362140753
21DF England330220330
22GK United States8001080
24DF Spain360040360
26MF England301240776
27MF England60010290
29DF Republic of Ireland0000000
43DF United StatesEric Lichaj0000000
45MF England1001010
46MF Scotland2001020
47DF EnglandCiaran Clark0000000
48DF EnglandNathan Baker0000000
49MF Australia0000000
51MF IrelandShane Lowry0000000

No.Pos.NationalityPlayerReserve Apps Reserve GoalsAcademy Apps Academy GoalsTotal Apps Total Goals
45MF England10220122
48DF EnglandNathan Baker40120160
46MF Scotland11340153
–FW England009292
–MF EnglandRichard Blythe10161171
–MF EnglandDaniel Bradley006161
47DF EnglandCiaran Clark12191212
–FW EnglandJames Collins10122243225
–GK AustriaThomas Dau00140140
14FW England9310103
*GK Northern IrelandConor Devlin001010
–MF EnglandJack Dyer10130140
–DF EnglandCalum Flanagan10170180
41MF EnglandHarry Forrester30185215
–MF EnglandGary Gardner21112133
–MF EnglandWill Grocott10184194
–DF NetherlandsArsenio Halfhuid005050
*GK KosovoAldi Haxhia001010
49MF Australia710071
42MF AustriaDominik Hofbauer61173234
–MF EnglandJonathan Hogg530053
–MF EnglandJason Lampkin008080
43DF United StatesEric Lichaj10100101
–MF EnglandBen Love005050
51DF Republic of IrelandShane Lowry810081
–FW Sweden300030
–FW EnglandEthan Moore001111
29DF Republic of Ireland200020
53GK EnglandElliott Parish9030120
–FW EnglandKofi Poyser00134134
–DF WalesTomos Roberts00120120
–DF EnglandMatthew Roome50140190
–GK SwitzerlandBenjamin Siegrist004040
–MF EnglandRyan Simmonds00130130
–DF EnglandSam Simmonds106070
–MF HungaryAndrás Stieber00114114
*MF Hungary820082
–FW AustriaAndreas Weimann102186288
–DF Republic of IrelandDerrick Williams001010
–FW England400040