However, Purslow will undoubtedly regret one choice when he looks back on his tenure as manager: the selection of Steven Gerrard in November 2021.
Purslow felt certain Gerrard was the one to bring back Villa's glory days since he had seen him up close when leading Liverpool. The experiment lasted less than a year, and when co-owner Nassef Sawiris personally oversaw the search for a replacement for Gerrard, Unai Emery, Purslow's time was up.
Following his resignation as CEO on Monday, Mail Sport looks back on Purslow's greatest accomplishments as well as those he will look back on with regret.
TOP MOMENTS
Dean Smith is appointed
Purslow made a swift move for Smith, the Brentford manager at the time, after Steve Bruce was fired in October 2018 with Villa lurching in the Championship. Smith brought the Villa faithful together and led Villa to promotion through the play-offs in his debut season as a local boy and supporter. Even though Smith was fired just two years after Villa was promoted, he kept them in the top division and brought them back. Purslow's decision-making should be commended for that reason.
Jack Grealish's £100 million transfer fee
The best recent homegrown player for Villa became the most expensive player in Britain when he moved to Manchester City in the summer of 2021. Grealish was still an unfulfilled player when Villa offered him a new five-year contract in the summer of 2020.
Villa Park construction
By the end of the decade, Villa's house should be able to accommodate 60,000 people if everything goes as planned. If the UK and Ireland's joint bid is accepted, the site will host games during Euro 2028. Additionally, there are plans to enhance the neighborhood around the stadium, which will increase the club's earnings. These initiatives needed a daring, forward-thinking chief executive to give them momentum, and Purslow delivered just that.
communicating with the audience
Purslow would occasionally give interviews through the club channels to discuss strategy, and there is evidence that the fans valued it. When Grealish was sold, Purslow explained why they had moved to replace him with Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey, and Danny Ings. The
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