Dan told Villa no

PAUL HETHERINGTON DAN ASHWORTH rejected the chance to become director of football at Aston Villa to stay with the FA.

Ashworth, 45, is the FA’s director of elite development and was instrumental in the recent appointment of Sam Allardyce.

He was previously sporting and technical director at West Brom. Villa wanted him to take on a similar role there.

But Ashworth (below) who has had other offers to return to club football, opted to continue in his current job with the national teams.

The Villans have since appointed Steve Round as director of football. He was previously David Moyes’ assistant at Everton and Man United.