CARABAO CUP FINAL My dad’s got dementia. He has no idea I am the Villa manager but I owe my love of this club to him

■THE LAST time Aston Villa won a major trophy, England were just about to host Euro 96, the Spice Girls were on their way to dominating the airwaves and Dolly the Sheep was cloned.

■To some it will seem like yesterday but for Villa, whose fortunes have dipped alarmingly during the past decade, it was a lifetime ago since goals from £3.5m signing Savo Milosevic, boyhood fan Ian Taylor and striker Dwight Yorke put Leeds United to the sword.

■NEIL MOXLEY looks back on Brian Little’s class of ‘96 to find out what they are up to now.

Left Villa just two years after lifting the club’s last major honour. Went on to manage West Brom and Stoke, among others, before becoming director of football in Jersey four years ago. Has always maintained a presence in the media and has been an advisor to Villa’s board. Remains a regular visitor to Villa Park.

The Aussie international joined

Manchester

United after leaving

Villa in

2001 but hardly played after his first season at Old Trafford, moving to Chelsea where he failed a drugs test and had his contract terminated. Was declared bankrupt in 2008 and returned to Australia, where he has re-invented himself as a pundit.

Three years after lifting his only trophy, Charles joined Benfica but was plagued with injuries and returned to West Ham. His struggles to remain fit continued and he retired in 2002. Has since battled alcoholism and depression but is a now a counsellor and has passed his Uefa A coaching licence.

Wright stayed at

Villa Park until 2003 when he left to join

Sheffield

United.

Latterly he played for

Cheltenham Town and Fleetwood Town before retiring, aged 39. He then moved into lower league management with Southport and then Northwich Victoria.

DEAN SMITH would like nothing better than to show off the League Cup to the man who sparked his love affair with Aston Villa.

Heartbreakingly, Villa’s chief knows it would be an empty gesture.

Smith has claret and blue running through his veins. So does his brother, Dave. So too does his dad, Ron.

But the man who nurtured his affection for the Birmingham club, the man who took him to his first League Cup final in 1977, no longer knows his name. Or even the fact he has a son.

Smith is a leader of men. Someone for whom a smile and a laugh is a default position. A glass-half-full type of bloke.

But even his cheery mask slipped a little this week.

He said: “My dad has dementia – he has no idea I’m Villa’s manager.

“I went to see him just before the play-off final. He was awake and I just saw that little glint in his eye.

“Unfortunately, over the past couple of months I’ve not seen him too often with his eyes open.

“It’s a shame, isn’t it? What can you do?

“I was only six when he took me and my brother Dave to the final against Everton in ‘77. We would have gone on the coach to Wembley because my dad doesn’t drive.

“It wasn’t the greatest game, so I’m told, but that was my first real memory and I have my dad to thank for that.” And then the mask goes back on. “Mind you,” he continues, “my brother Dave’s eyes are open all right.

“He was probably sat behind the goal at Southampton last week and it would have hurt him as a Villa fan.

“Actually, there’s a funny story. Last season we played Sheffield United and we were three down with 10 minutes to go. It ends up 3-3. Villa Park is bouncing.

“He came into my room afterwards for a drink and said: ‘What about all those fans who left early?’

I was only six when dad took me and my brother Dave to the final against Everton in 1977. It was my first real memory

Success

“I replied: ‘Yeah, and you’d have been one of them too, wouldn’t you, if I wasn’t the manager’. I just hope he wasn’t booing when we were three down.”

Try telling Smith or the tens of thousands who will head down the M6 and M40 this afternoon that the League Cup isn’t worth winning.

“It is,” he says, “without a shadow of a doubt.

“Ask Pep Guardiola, who has won three Champions League finals. He’ll want it as much as we do. Ask my

Left Villa in 2000, joining Middlesbrough in an £8m deal, and made four appearances for England. Had a spell at Rangers before hanging up his boots in 2009. Was part of England’s Under-20 backroom team before joining

Spurs’ Under-21s.

Suffered cardiac arrest at Spurs’ training ground and died two years ago. assistant, John Terry, who has lifted it three times.

“It’s a domestic final. Apart from the Premier League, there’s only two competitions we can win each year.

“I keep drumming into the players – and I think this has been forgotten because of the success and the finances

The defender was in the twilight of his career but was the glue which held Villa together defensively. Regarded by many as the finest defender of his generation, he remains an iconic figure in

Irish football.

Battled alcohol addiction for a number of years and is now settled back in Ireland. in the Premier League – in a 15-year career you’ve got 45 opportunities to win something, excluding European competitions. The League Cup, FA Cup and promotion or a title.

“It’s not that many chances to win something and for me, growing up, it was just about winning. Getting those

Converted into a centre-back by Brian Little, Southgate left Villa under a cloud in 2001, moving to Middlesbrough. He later managed the club, before being sacked while the Teessiders were fourth in the Championship.

Became England’s

Under-21 coach in

2013 and got the senior position three years later where he remains today. titles, trophies, medals – and it was the same for JT as well. There’s a lot talked now about just surviving in the Premier League rather than winning trophies, but I’ve never lost that desire to win things.”

Mistake

And so to opponents Manchester City – a team that has defeated Villa by an aggregate of 9-1 in the Premier League this season, including a morale-sapping six-goal thumping at Villa Park just seven weeks ago.

Smith said: “Jack Grealish talks even

Townsend quit Villa for Middlesbrough shortly after lifting the League Cup and went on to establish a second career in broadcasting, mainly as a commentator with ITV and then with Btsport, as well as undertaking radio work. He also played in two

World Cups for the Republic of

Ireland.