Walsall coach Darren Byfield recalls his breakthrough 'dream' in claret and blue
It was always Darren Byfield’s dream to wear the claret and blue jersey of Villa.
And, in December 1997, Brian Little delivered the news that turned his fantasy into a reality.
“We had played on Boxing Day. That was against Tottenham on Sky. I remember I was a sub and I didn’t get on,” Byfield recalls from Walsall’s Essington training base.
“Then we travelled down to Leeds the next day to play on the 28th. On the way to the stadium, Brian Little came to the back of the bus and told me that Stan Collymore was sick.
“Dwight Yorke was injured as well, so I started up front with Savo Milosevic, and played the whole game in a 1-1 draw.”
He was presented with cameos at Derby and Wimbledon, before being introduced for the final 13 minutes in a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Villa Park.
“To actually go and play in that stadium. It was crazy,” he gleefully adds.
“I was born in Aston, I went to school on Trinity Road and the field I played on was right next to Villa Park.”
Byfield struggled to compete with the likes of Yorke, Milosevic, Collymore, and Vassell. He would go on to feature just twice more in the Premier League, as John Gregory helped steer Villa to a Uefa Cup qualification spot for the second successive season.
Villa were drawn against Stromgodset in the first round, and were left stunned when Anders Michelsen and Christer George both scored in under two minutes to propel the Norwegians into a two-goal lead.
Byfield & Co looked to lead the Villa revival, but the forward saw a golden chance repelled by Glenn Hansen, and another by the offside flag.
Villa still trailed by two when Byfield’s number was held up 15 minutes from time, and after Gary Charles reduced the deficit in the 83rd minute, Darius Vassell took centre stage.
Byfield recalled: “My first home start was in the Uefa Cup against Stromgodset, which was good and bad purely because I started, did well, thought I’d scored, linesman put his flag up, and I came off after75 minutes.
“Darius Vassell came on and scored two, and he was born, and that was the end of my Villa career!
“But listen, Darius was another level compared to me. They are great experiences and you use them.”
