Keeping our Prem status better than play-off win, insists Dean
ASTON Villa boss Dean Smith declared staying up felt better than promotion last season after securing survival with a 1-1 draw at West Ham.
Villa, who were seven points from safety heading into their game against Crystal Palace on July 12, completed their version of the great escape to stay up by a single point.
An emotional Smith, who lost his Villa-supporting father Ron to coronavirus during the enforced break, said: “It feels better than getting promoted. We had a big turnaround in the summer and to stay up from where we’ve come from is a great achievement.
“I was aware of the scores elsewhere but I was more in the game. I didn’t think we were playing that well, defences were on top. They got the riot act at half-time because I wanted to win the game and put it in our hands.
“When Jack scores you think ‘That’s it we’re safe’ but a deflection made it a little bit nervous, but we saw it out well.
“I’m immensely proud and I’ve said that in the dressing room. We now look like Premier League players. My whole family are in the living room watching together. It’s been emotional because I lost my father to coronavirus. I’m sure he’ll be looking down on us.”
Grealish’s long-term future remains unclear – but his immediate future was pretty certain.
“What happens now? He comes out and gets drunk with me,” added
Smith. “Will he stay? I’m certainly hopeful, he’s contracted for another two or three years. He’s a Villa fan. He’ll be immensely proud to have scored the goal today to keep us in the Premier League.”
Villa goalkeeper Pepe Reina said he and his team-mates never stopped believing they would achieve the “impossible” and secure Premier League survival.
The Spaniard said: “It’s been hard, it’s been a hard, long season with the lockdown, but we just never gave up. It seemed almost impossible two, three weeks ago, but we still believed it. That togetherness, that belief, commitment and resilience made us. It’s a turning point for all the lads – I have one or two years left in my career, but for them to keep that status and still be Premier League players is massive for the club and the city.
“It seems like I came in January to help the team and somehow it is job done.”
On his own plans now that his loan spell at Villa has come to an end, Reina added: “I still have a good two years of my career left... I’ll go back to Milan because I have one more year there.”
And Conor Hourihane has called on Villa to learn from this season’s struggles and push on when the new campaign begins.
Midfielder Hourihane said: “It’s been a roller-coaster of emotions with last-minute defeats, ups and downs, and we’ve not been consistent enough over the season.
“But being in the middle of the pitch with the staff, players, and all the injured lads at the end of the game - we were just over the moon.
“On the pitch, it wasn’t too bad but then with 15 minutes to go I got taken off and it was a nightmare because you can’t affect the game.
“We were getting results and updates every other minute. When you’ve come off and people are giving you updates, it was heart attack stuff.
“I’m delighted for the club. It’s a massive, massive football club and everyone knows we shouldn’t be in this position. Hopefully we can build on this season and move forward.”