Captain Jack Grealish and head coach Dean Smith are both boyhood Aston Villa supportersHead coach Dean Smith feels Aston Villa's potential is "massive" after winning the Championship play-off final to return to the Premier League. Smith, a boyhood Villa fan, said: "It feels right we are a Premier League club because of the history and the fan base that we have. Smith, who left Brentford to succeed Steve Bruce as Villa boss in October, added: "I don't know how it feels yet. The 48-year-old oversaw a club-record run of 10 successive league wins during March and April after making fellow Villa fan Jack Grealish captain, and Smith says he has a "special connection" with the playmaker. "He's a fellow Villa fan and he's been through a lot in his career after he was thrust into the limelight at a very young age," added Smith.

Source: BBC May 27, 2019 18:11 UTC