Dean Smith: The emotion came over me at the sight of my family after Aston Villa promotion

After taking his boyhood club back to the Premier League in his first season in charge, the Aston Villa boss and lifelong fan was keen to soak up every last second.

But having never been promoted before, the reality of the achievement didn't hit home until he saw his family.

"I'm not quite sure how it feels yet," he admitted. "This is new to me, I've not been in this position before, I'll take each minute as it comes and see where it takes me.

"The emotions came to me when I saw my wife, son and daughter crying in the royal box.

"Coming to Villa was a life-changing decision, one we all made. It had to be a family decision, it will be even more life changing now we've become a Premier League club again."

One member of Smith's family who couldn't be at the game was his dad, who used to be a steward in the Trinity Road stand but is now in a caring home suffering with dementia.

"I went to see my old man on Friday and I managed to get his eyes open for two minutes maximum," revealed the Villa boss.

"I said ‘next time I come and see you, I’ll be a Premier League manager’, he smiled and nodded if not anything more. For me, that was enough.

"Hopefully there was an understanding but it's a terrible illness. "

Smith said he was calm before the match, and told his players he was confident they would deliver because the last 15 games had been must-wins.

Villa's 2-1 win over Derby exorcised the demons of last year's play-off final defeat to Fulham at Wembley.

"I hadn't even discussed last season's game," said Smith. "I've been told there's a different feel. Our mindset was to be relaxed.

"I said in the hotel before we left, 'I trust you to go and do the job today because I've seen what they've been like in the last three months'.

"They took that into the game - apart from the last 15 minutes!"

After a hectic few months turned Villa's season on its head, Smith confirmed he would be celebrating long into the night.

"We drew up an itinerary before we left and you have to plan for both outcomes," he smiled.

"We suffered the loss last season, but the departure time back home [because we won] will be when the manager can drink no more."