Dean Smith signed former Steve Bruce favourite Moses Odubajo this summer

Add as preferred source on Google

Aston Villa have appointed Dean Smith as their new manager. The 47-year-old, a lifelong Villa fan, has left his role at Brentford in order to take the job with John Terry his assistant.

It comes after Aston Villa sacked Steve Bruce. The club had suffered a poor start to the season and Bruce’s position among the fanbase at Aston Villa had become untenable.

Smith will now be tasked with taking the club toward a promotion push after the international break.

This summer, Smith interestingly signed a player that Bruce is very fond of.

Moses Odubajo spent two seasons playing under Bruce at Hull CIty. The former Villa boss snapped him up for a reported £3.5 million in August 2015 from Brentford. He went on to be the club’s starting right-back as Bruce guided the Tigers to promotion from the Championship in 2015-16.

Bruce left soon after due a disagreement with the club’s board. Odubajo had an even worse summer. He suffered a dislocated kneecap and ligament damage during the 2016 pre-season and spent most of the next two years on the sidelines.

This summer,  he left Hull at the end of his contract to continue his career elsewhere. In fact, Bruce was linked with bringing him to Aston Villa in a reunion, as reported by the Hull Daily Mail.

But Odubajo headed back to Brentford, with Smith signing him to a one-year deal with the option of an extension. He returned to action in September but only played three games for Smith before he decided to take the role at Aston Villa.

Now, Smith is at Aston Villa, it will be interesting to see if Odubajo to Villa Park rumours materialise yet again.