Aston Villa are a prestigious club, and one of the most decorated in English football.

They have lifted plenty of silverware, although it has not been since 1996 that they last won a major honour, namely the League Cup.

Despite this lack of success in the modern era, they are a club who have boasted some incredible talent at various points in their recent history.

Supporters will not soon forget the quality of Christian Benteke, Fabian Delph and Jack Grealish in a hurry, but one who might go somewhat under the radar is Gary Cahill.

Having come through the Villa academy, the centre-back featured just 31 times across four years in the first team.

Clearly deemed not good enough at a time when Martin Laursen and Olof Mellberg held down starting spots, he was sold for just £5m to Bolton Wanderers in January 2008. It was likely chalked up as a good piece of business, and the Midlands club moved on without him.

However, after impressing for four years in Lancashire, Premier League giants Chelsea came calling.

The £7m fee paid was already an increase on what Villa initially got, but what he would go on to achieve would rub further salt into their wounds. Cahill became a mainstay for the Blues, featuring 290 times for six different permanent managers.

The 36-year-old led an illustrious career and eventually became captain of a club which won two Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, two Europa Leagues, one League Cup and the coveted Champions League during his time in west London.

He became something of a legend at Stamford Bridge, with Thierry Henry labelling him “a leader” whose versatility had surprised him.

To think just how far Cahill has come, from a Villa reject to winning almost every trophy possible in club football, suggests that the Midlands club may have made a mistake all those years ago.

He eventually left Chelsea to join Crystal Palace, admitting his sadness in an emotional interview before detailing: “I’m proud of what I’ve done here and what I’ve achieved in such a short space of time.”

His career is certainly one which should inspire pride, whilst those who frequent Villa Park will instead feel a regret that it was not them who he inspired to glory.