Alan Hutton looks to have finally left Aston Villa in what will be the first batch of good news that Villa fans have heard for a while.
Alan Hutton has completed a loan deal to move to Spanish La Liga strugglers Real Mallorca until the end of the season. Hutton is one of the highest earners at Villa and top’s most lists that debate which player fans would like to see be shown the exit door.
The Scottish right back looked a very decent player during his time with Glasgow Rangers, even impressing during the Scottish giants 2007-08 Champions League campaign. It was enough to earn him a move to Tottenham Hotspurs for £9m during the January transfer window of the same season.
His time in England however quickly presented the severe limitations of Hutton as both a player and human being. No better summed up than when I spotted Hutton, feasting on an extra large meal, at a Burger King in Brent Cross shopping centre when still a Spurs player.
Still his inept Premiership displays were enough to convince Alex McLeish to make him his first signing during his ill fated tenure as manager of Aston Villa. Ironically Hutton has spent part of his time on loan with Championship side Nottingham Forrest this season, yet McLeish’s first act as manager of Forrest was to terminate that deal.
In all my time as an Aston Villa fan I can safely say that Hutton is the worst right back that I have seen at the club. Although delighted, I find it hard to believe that a club from the Spanish top flight are actually interested in such a useless footballer. Having said that, Mallorca currently sit 19th in the La Liga table, so have clearly reached the desperation stage of pre-relegation fever.
Completely ignoring Alan Hutton has possibly been Paul Lambert’s most positive impact since joining Villa as manager in the summer. Villa now have to clear out the rest of the high earning deadwood in the squad. Starting with Warnock, who appears to have all but sealed a move to West Ham. Shay Given, Stephen Ireland, Charles N’Zogbia, Darren Bent and Richard Dunne also receive sickening pay packets considering their playing time. Villa may need all the help they can get in their bid to avoid the drop this season so it is unlikely that many more outgoings will occur at Villa Park until the end of the season.
Some football fan’s might want to put the date 17th March in their diaries to watch Hutton come face to face with Ronaldo, when Mallorca take on Real Madrid. Goodbye Alan Hutton thanks for nothing.
images: © C.P.Storm, © Ronnie Macdonald
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