Brucie gets a bonus at Villa

clear to Bruce that they weren’t looking to replace him.

It’s a major vote of confidence for Bruce, who saw his Villa side suffer play-off final heartache in May.

Bruce, who has been in charge just under two years, arrived just 20 minutes before kick-off for Villa’s friendly with West Ham last night.

As he arrived for the match he said: “I’m absolutely delighted.”

Sawiris and Edens were also at the match to watch their new club in action.

Missing out on a return to the Premier League caused mass disappointment, but more significantly it also sparked a financial meltdown as the club were plunged into turmoil.

Villa staved off a winding-up petition over an unpaid £4m tax bill but director of football Steve Round followed chief executive Keith Wyness out of the door.

Chinese owner Tony Xia took steps to address the situation and drafted in help by brokering a deal to bring in Egyptian tycoon Sawiris and American sports money-man Edens, who owns the Milwaukee Bucks baseball team.

Proud

Sawiris said: “I can’t emphasise strongly enough how proud we are and grateful to be part of this great club.

“We’re appreciative of the fanbase which make Villa the kind of club that people look for.

“We were attracted by the passionate fanbase. It was our No.1 attraction.

“We’re here to support the club and trying to bring the club back to its former glory.”

But Eden sounded a note of caution by saying: “Nothing happens overnight.’’

He added: ‘‘That was my experience with the Bucks and I think it’ll be consistent with what is here.

‘‘But we have very lofty goals for the club.”

Villa still need to find £40m to comply with Financial Fair Play rules with star midfielder Jack Grealish their most saleable asset.

Even if Villa lose Grealish, the financial environment Bruce will work in has been eased by the new investment that has been brought to the club.

And the club’s former striker Darren Bent believes that the vastly experienced Bruce deserves another crack at promotion.

Former Tottenham star Bent, who played under Bruce at Sunderland, said: “For me, if you want to get a team out of the Championship you stick with someone like a Steve Bruce or a Neil Warnock.

“They have pedigree of getting teams out of that league.

‘‘Bruce has experience, has done it before and knows the league inside and out.

“I think he could definitely get Aston Villa up this season.”