Aston Villa striker was surprise hero against Birmingham.
Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor celebrates after the match
Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has sent an emotional message to supporters reflecting on his derby heroics.
The much maligned forward came off the bench to score a winning goal against rivals Birmingham City, putting him back in favour among fans.
This time last year Agbonlahor was attracting headlines for the wrong reasons and giving off the impression that he simply did not care, amid a disastrous run of results which culminated in the club’s relegation.
Aston Villa fans with Gabby Agbonlahor masks
In the summer he became a player Villa could not shift, and his decision to try and stick it out at the club perplexed many.
Now he has got the supporters back onside, and has reflected on his journey via his Instagram page.
He wrote: “The whole team knew how much this game meant to Aston Villa fans and we got the win for you all.
“On a personal note is been a bad few years for me on the pitch but I’m only looking forward now to many more more games for this great club #utv #vtid
“P.s Sunday was my favourite goal in all my derby games.”
Gabriel Agbonlahor of Aston Villa in action
While this could be an ideal moment for Agbonlahor to make a gracious exit from Villa on a high, having restored his reputation somewhat, he is determined that this is not the end of his journey.
The strike was his first goal of the season and perhaps with his confidence restored, there is plenty more to come.
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