Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow is leaving the club after five years and former striker Stan Collymore has delivered his verdict.
Stan Collymore has recognised Christian Purslow’s contribution and ‘expertise’ in his role as Aston Villa chief executive as he steps down from the job – but the former Villa striker has been critical of what he described as the outgoing CEO’s ‘vanity’ during his tenure.
Purslow spent five years at Villa Park, being installed as the club’s CEO upon the takeover completed by NSWE, with Villa in dire need in 2018 after missing out on promotion. In that time the Lions have risen from the bottom half of the Championship to securing a fifth straight Premier League season – and European football.
Away from first-team matters, Villa Women have made significant strides, while the academy has continued to be upgraded and added to. There are plans for an expansion and redevelopment of Villa Park, too, as Purslow took care of matters at ground level in the name of the club’s ownership.
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Collymore, though, claimed there to be similarities between the job carried out by Purslow at Villa and previously at Liverpool – and that that ‘vanity’ led to the ill-fated appointment of Steven Gerrard as the club’s manager in November 2021. Brought in to build on the foundations laid by predecessor Dean Smith, Gerrard was removed from his post less than a year after joining from Rangers.
