Ex-Aston Villa duo take intriguing new career move to league where Hollywood star Idris Elba is a manager
Two former Aston Villa players have embarked on a surprise new challenge in their football careers
Aston Villa have seen an upturn in form over recent weeks after a tough start to the new season. Unai Emery’s side are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions. They will be in confident mood heading into the current international break.
The Midlands club won 2-1 at home to Burnley last time out. Attacker Donyell Malen got on the scoresheet twice against the Clarets at Villa Park as they secured an impressive three points. Next up is an away trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 19th October in their latest Premier League outing as they look to rise up the table.
Ex-Aston Villa man Ciaran Clark in Baller League
Former Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark will be playing in Baller League for a mystery team, formerly called Trebol FC. Their manager is yet to be announced, with the likes of Idris Elba, Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, John Terry and Jens Lehmann in charge of other teams. Clark is one of his side’s ‘franchise’ players.
Clark, 35, rose up through the academy ranks at Villa and was a regular for them at various different youth levels. He made his first-team debut in 2009 and went on to make 159 appearances in all competitions for the Midlands outfit, chipping in with 10 goals.
The centre-back cut ties with them in 2016 when Newcastle United came calling and he dropped into the Championship to join the North East outfit. He helped the Toon Army win promotion from the Football League in his first year under Rafa Benitez. He played 129 matches during his days at St. James’ Park and found the net on 11 occasions from the back. He also had a temporary stint away at Sheffield United to get some game time under his belt.
Clark last played for Stoke City and played three times for the Potters during the 2023/24 campaign. They snapped him up a free agent to boost their ranks and inject some experience into their squad. His deal wasn’t renewed last June though and he became available again.
Former Aston Villa defender Joleon Lescott takes on new challenge
Ex-Aston Villa man Joleon Lescott will also be competing in Baller League. He is on Deportrio’s roster along with the likes of Josh Harrop, Marvin Sordell and Henri Lansbury. They are managed by Micah Richards.
Lescott, 43, was a controversial figure during his time at Villa. He struggled to make the impact he would have wanted to there and they were relegated to the Championship during his spell. The ex-England international also had stints with the likes of Wolves, Everton, Manchester City, AEK Athens and Sunderland before hanging up his boots.
He described Aston Villa’s dropping into the second tier back in 2016 as a ‘a weight off the shoulders’. This caused some uproar among the fanbase. Pundit Stan Collymore said at the time: "Why is it a weight off the shoulders, Joleon? It should hang on your shoulders. There's the Villa staff - there's real weight on their shoulders. People are getting made redundant that have been there 20 years and don't know where the next pay cheque is going to come from."