In five years at Aston Villa, Christian Purslow re-established the club as a consistent Premier League presence and was a solid, savvy frontman for a club in transition. His good work far outweighs the mistakes.
Yet when he reflects on his time in charge, Purslow will surely regret one decision: the appointment of Steven Gerrard in November 2021.
Purslow had witnessed Gerrard at close quarters when he captained Liverpool and was convinced he was the man to restore Villa’s glory days. The experiment lasted less than a year, and when co-owner Nassef Sawiris took personal charge of recruiting Unai Emery to replace Gerrard, the writing was on the wall for Purslow.