The international break is well and truly underway, and with Aston Villa attacker Morgan Rogers scoring in England's last fixture, it had me thinking, who are the best players to perform for both Aston Villa and England?
This is based on both performance and impact for Aston Villa FC as well as their impact for their country.
1. Gareth Southgate
Gareth is number one for two reasons, not only did he have an impact for England while playing for Villa, he also had an impact as a manager in recent years, bringing England to two competition finals. He claimed 42 England caps while at Aston Villa (57 total), and is the Villains most capped England player in the Premier League era. He was a leader for Aston Villa and contributed to his nation.
2. Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry was a model of consistency for Aston Villa. One of Villa's all time leaders in appearances, Barry featured 53 times for England, after breaking into the setup as a teenager while at Villa. He stayed relevant in the squads for over a decade following.
3. Ashley Young
Ashley Young was a creative winger for Aston Villa, with 92 goals and assists for the club during his time here. He featured in two World Cups for his country as well as a Euros. He showed consistency and longevity over multiple eras of football for England. He was brilliant for Aston Villa in both tenures.
4. Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish, an Aston Villa academy product who is also the clubs biggest sale, was a big reason as to why Villa rose back to the Premier League and are where they are today. He has been a key contributor for England through the years and still has many years left to add more goals and assists to his international resume. Perhaps the most gifted player to ever feature.
5. James Milner
A hardworking, trustworthy midfielder who featured 61 times for England across his long consistent career. Often called 'Mr Reliable', Milner was a star for Aston Villa at an early point in his career. He won PFA Young Player of the year in his final year at Villa. His years at Villa were the start of an elite career which brought plenty of trophies.
Some honourable mentions who could potentially be included would be: Tyrone Mings, Emile Heskey, Kyle Walker, Darius Vassell.
Aston Villa have had some quality players who brought a real impact to both club and country, bringing top performances and success at both levels.