With Aston Villa fans knowing that it would be likely Republic of Ireland midfielder Conor Hourihane would be off this summer, following on from his loan spell to Swansea City last season, it was no great surprise earlier today when speculation went through the roof of a reported loan spell to Sheffield United.
It was claimed by the likes of The Daily Mail that talks were at a very advanced stage and that Hourihane had travelled up to Bramall Lane for his medical.
Good luck, @ConorHourihane! 👊
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 30, 2021
And just ahead of 6pm, Villa confirmed the deal had been rubber stamped.
Having joined us from Barnsley back in the 2017 January transfer window, Hourihane massively split the fanbase over his years with us, but what can’t be denied is the key part he played in our rise back to the Premier League. 122 starting appearances, 29 substitute showings with a return of 29 goals and countless assists.
Vital Villa’s Conor Hourihane Forum Thread
Even for his detractors and doubters, I doubt many won’t wish him well for the part he played, and given he’s out of contract next summer, he won’t be returning.
But there will always be memories like this.
There are a lot of proper ballers passed through Bodymoor. Conor joins the ranks of Gueye, that screamer for PSG, Gollini is growing into his gloves, Albrighton is a Prem winner and too many more to mention. I wish him well and just hope that he doesn’t come back to haunt us, like so many before him have.