Robert Snodgrass West Ham
Former Aston Villa winger Robert Snodgrass has shared his cherished memories of his time at the club, describing his loan spell as “exceptional.” Snodgrass joined Villa on a season-long loan from West Ham United in August 2017, making 43 appearances and contributing eight goals and 13 assists. His standout performances included scoring crucial late winners against Middlesbrough and Sheffield United. Despite his efforts, Villa narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League, losing to Fulham in the 2018 Championship play-off final.
Robert Snodgrass said: “Yeah, being at Aston Villa was an exceptional time for me personally. We were kind of in the bottom half of the table and it just felt right from the very off. I walked in there, with great teammates, great staff and turned up to matchdays thinking, ‘Jesus, the fans right behind you.’ I had a great connection with them. I still speak to a lot of the players and staff. It just felt right, but it was an exceptional time for me. It was a really important point in my career where I had half of the season where I was scoring a lot of goals and getting assists at Hull but then went to West Ham and I’m still playing but I wasn’t good enough. Going to Villa was what just gave me that confidence and that belief. I felt part of a vision to try and get the club back to the Premier League. It just felt great and the manager there, Steve Bruce, was exceptional for me. He signed me at Hull City and also at Aston Villa. So, you know, I had a great relationship with Steve. He’s a proper football man. It’s so funny because his son Alex would say how his mum would get so fed up when Steve was out of a job. She could just see that he was desperate to go back in every time he said, ‘No, that’s my last one.’ He is a proper football man and somebody who understands people first and foremost. He’s a real people person. Honestly, he’s a top, top guy, a real father figure to a lot of the lads. He was exceptional for me. Somebody that I can’t speak highly enough of. I think everybody in the football world knows how much of a great guy he is. He was really successful as a player, and has been exceptional in terms of promotions as a manager. That’s not all by luck. I just love how he holds the room. He’s got that aura about him.”
Snodgrass’s reflections highlight the significant impact Steve Bruce had on his career. Bruce, who had previously signed Snodgrass at Hull City, played a crucial role in restoring the winger’s confidence and belief. Snodgrass’s comments underline Bruce’s reputation as a “proper football man” and a “real people person,” attributes that have earned him respect throughout the football community. The former Villa player expressed his desire to see Bruce return to football in some capacity, emphasizing the manager’s exceptional qualities and influence.
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