Back in those days the Villa Park faithful were treated to plenty of excitement as the West Midland’s side recorded three consecutive sixth place finishes in the Premier League, whilst also competing in the final of the League Cup at Wembley Stadium.
Aston Villa progressed from the group stage in their last European campaign in a competitive group which featured the likes of Hamburg, Ajax, Zilina and Slavia Prague.
But their dreams of European silverware came to an end when they were beaten by Russian outfit CSKA Moscow in the round of 32.
O’Neill’s side entered the game level after a 1-1 draw at Villa Park, but were unable to match the hosts in the reverse fixture in Moscow as they fell to a 2-0 defeat.
The result came as little surprise at the time and the Villain’s opted to rest eight first team regulars for the match as O’Neill priorised Villa’s push for Champions League football over their UEFA Cup campaign.
But who featured in Aston Villa’s last European outing and where are the players from that team now?
Here’s all you need to know.
5. Left back: Nick Shorey
Former Reading defender Nick Shorey was chosen at left back to face CSKA Moscow. He struggled for first team football during his second season at Villa Park and was loaned out to the likes of Nottingham Forest and Fulham before joining West Brom. Shorey was a regular for West Brom and Reading in the Premier League until 2013 but his later years were spent in the EFL at Bristol City, Portsmouth and Colchester. He finished his playing career at Hungerford Town in the National League South and has since worked as a scout for Reading and Gillingham. (Getty Images) | Getty Images
6. Right midfield: Marc Albrighton
Aston Villa academy graduate Marc Albrighton was just a teenager when he appeared in the UEFA Cup but he has since gone on to have the most successful career of the players in this list. Albrighton was mainly used as a squad player during his time at Aston Villa before leaving for Leicester in 2014. During his time with the Foxes, Albrighton has made over 220 league appearances and helped his team to a Premier League title, an FA Cup and a Community Shield. Albrighton has spent the last nine years of his career in the Premier League but he is now a part of Leicester’s Championship team as they aim to bounce back to the top-flight. (Getty Images) | Getty Images
7. Centre midfield: Craig Gardner
Aston Villa academy graduate Craig Gardner was another back-up player during the 2008/09 season. He struggled to establish himself as a first team fixture at Villa and made the to arch-rivals Birmingham City, who he is still strongly associated with. Gardner played for the likes of Sunderland and West Brom in the top-flight before returning to Birmingham at the end of his career. He retired from football in 2020 and now works as a technical director with the Blues. (Getty Images) | Getty Images
8. Centre midfield: Moustapha Salifou
Moustapha Salifou did not play a single minute of Premier League action during the 2008/09 season but he was preferred over Gareth Barry for his side’s visit to CSKA Moscow. The 66-time Togo international played just four Premier League matches across four seasons at Villa Park and ended his career with spells in the lower leagues of German football at FC Saarbrucken, 1860 Rosenheim and Turkspor Augsburg. He retired in 2022. (Getty Images) | Getty Images