Former Carmarthen Town and Wales defender Mark Delaney is set to take charge of Aston Villa tonight in their FA Cup third round clash with Liverpool.
The Villa first team suffered an outbreak of Covid-19 earlier this week, with 14 positive results – including 9 players, and have decided to field a team primarily comprised of their Under 23s. Delaney, an Under 23 coach at Villa since 2007, has been tasked with securing a result against the Premier League champions.
The former right back, now 44, played his first season of competitive football for Pembrokeshire side Goodwick United, helping them to the Pembrokeshire League Division One title in 1994. Two years later he made his first step up to Carmarthen Town in the League of Wales and played 58 times, scoring thrice for the Old Gold.
A solitary season for Third Division Cardiff City followed before a £500,000 transfer to Premier League club Aston Villa in 1999. During his time in the West Midlands, Delaney played in the 2000 FA Cup final and 158 top flight games before hanging up his boots in 2007. He also won 36 caps for the National side.
Since his retirement Delaney has been involved with the Aston Villa academy, stepping up to the Under 23s helm in 2015. This season he oversaw his side’s EFL Trophy campaign against League One and League Two clubs which ended with three defeats from three against Sunderland (8-1), Carlisle (3-1) and Fleetwood Town (3-0).
(Featured Image: Ian Wilson)
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