Alan Hutton
Alan Hutton, the former right-back who joined Aston Villa from Tottenham Hotspur in August 2011, has opened up about his tumultuous early years at the club and his eventual redemption. Hutton, who made 31 Premier League appearances during the 2011/12 season, faced a challenging period after being sidelined by then-manager Paul Lambert. Following a series of loan spells at Nottingham Forest, Mallorca, and Bolton Wanderers, Hutton eventually found his way back into the Villa first team, playing a crucial role in their promotion under Dean Smith in 2019.
Hutton said: “Those early years were really, really difficult for me at Aston Villa, to be honest. I can look back now and say it was honestly a nightmare, definitely. Things didn’t go great in the first year, and I knew I hadn’t played to the level that I knew I could. The team was struggling a little bit, as was the manager and it just didn’t quite work out. Obviously you’re gutted about the whole situation. He said he needed to work with just the squad he wanted to take forward into the new season. I was shocked; I just wasn’t expecting it at all.”
Hutton continued: “So, you can imagine me sitting there in his office, not sure whether I’m going to tear the place up, walk out, be angry, whatever. In the end I just walked out of there and into a downward spiral, really. You know, I’m running about, kicking people, and just being angry about the whole situation. That’s not helping their development, it’s not helping me, and it’s just getting worse and worse as the weeks go on.”
He added: “What made it worse was that the first-team were struggling at the time, and you’re there thinking ‘I can help’, but the decision had already been made. It was a tough few years, I’m not going to lie. And the biggest thing is that you don’t want to take that home; you don’t want that affecting your personal life.”
Hutton’s journey back to the first team was marked by perseverance and determination. After being recalled to the squad at the start of the 2014/15 season, he played a pivotal role in Villa’s subsequent success. His final contributions to the club came during a period of significant change, as Villa secured promotion to the Premier League under Dean Smith’s leadership.
Hutton reflected: “Thankfully, I was able to turn it around, and the rest is history, really! It took a couple of seasons, but Paul always had meetings with his players at the end of the season just to tell them how they’d done, and what next year was going to look like. So he pulled me in – which I wasn’t expecting, ‘How would you feel if I brought you in for pre-season? No problem, gaffer. I told you before, if you need me, I’m there’.”
He concluded: “To be honest, when I think about everything I was lucky enough to achieve in my career, if I had to erase everything but keep one memory, I think it would be that play-off win with Villa – which is crazy when you think about where I was with the club at one stage.”
Hutton’s story is one of resilience and highlights the emotional rollercoaster that professional athletes often endure. His ability to overcome adversity and contribute to Villa’s success is a testament to his character and dedication to the sport.
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