Conor Hourihane has thanked Dean Smith ‘for everything’ he has done and for the ‘incredible memories’ they were part of at Aston Villa, as he posted on Instagram.
The 30-year-old is currently out on-loan at Sheffield United and wasn’t part of Smith’s plans during the last 18 months of his tenure.
Villa sacked Smith on Sunday afternoon, just over 24 hours after their defeat at Southampton and their fifth defeat on the bounce in the Premier League.
Many were left numb by the call because of what Smith did for the club and the fact that he is a boyhood Villa fan.
Hourihane was part of the Villa squad that earned promotion and he sent this emotional 21-word message to the ‘gaffer’.
“Thanks for everything gaffer,” said Hourihane. “It was a pleasure the years we had together.
“Incredible memories. All the very best moving forward.”
Some feel that Smith should have been allowed to see Villa through these stormy times.
It’s not a case of five defeats on the bounce that have cost the Englishman his job, but 18 defeats in 2021.
On one hand, those in the Villa Park boardroom are being ruthless because they want to move the club forward and push the club back into Europe.
But, on the other hand, some would argue Smith deserved the chance to pick the club up again because he had earned the right to do so.
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