Richard O’Kelly has been an unsung hero in Dean Smith’s coaching staff during Aston Villa’s promotion to the Premier League.
Aston Villa supporters on Twitter have hailed Richard O’Kelly as a ‘hidden gem’ within Dean Smith’s coaching staff as he spoke passionately about the club’s attacking philosophy.
As posted on Villa’s official Twitter account, O’Kelly made it clear that the team ‘won’t change’ their current blueprint of playing forward-thinking and attack-minded football upon their return to the Premier League.
It is a mindset that was brought in ever since Smith and his coaching staff walked through the doors of Bodymoor Heath in October, and it has led the club back to the Premier League.
Even during Villa’s struggles under Smith last season, which came during the winter period, one thing the players continued to do was put the ball in the back of the net.
That attacking philosophy was a key reason behind Villa ending their three-year absence from the big-time, with O’Kelly, who has worked with Smith throughout his managerial career, playing a key part.
Whilst someone like John Terry, because of his reputation as a player, gets more limelight from the media, O’Kelly has played an equally impressive part in the club’s rise in recent months.
And it seems that as Villa prepare for the Premier League, that won’t change, whether they are playing a relegation-threatened team or pitting their wits against the best in the land, in this case, Manchester City.
Here is a selection of Villa fans reacting to O’Kelly’s comments:
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