“A bit dangerous” - Former Aston Villa man makes Birmingham City admission | OneFootball

Gabby Agbonlahor has revealed that Birmingham City’s St. Andrew’s was the most hostile ground he played at during his career.

The 36-year-old, who is a pundit since retiring from the game in 2018, spent his entire career contract to Aston Villa, having come through the ranks of his boyhood club, although he did have a few loan moves away at different points.

That meant he was well versed to the Second City rivalry, which has crossed the line in recent years, such as when Villa skipper Jack Grealish was attacked on the pitch by a fan. Whilst Agbonlahor wasn’t involved that day, he has seen how things can get between the clubs.

So, when quizzed by TalkSPORT on the most hostile away ground he had been to, it’s probably no surprise that Agbonlahor went for Blues’ home.

“St. Andrew’s would be top for me because when you’re going there, it just felt like you’re on the side of town you shouldn’t be on. You’re at a stadium where even fans felt nervous going to, no one really wore a Villa top.

“Getting out of that ground was a bit dangerous getting back to the city centre. I just felt when I went there, the bus journey in you just felt like ‘this is a war, you’re going to war’. No other game felt like that. Sometimes as a young player it wasn’t a game that was for you.”

Agbonlahor had a very good record against Blues during his career, scoring five goals in ten appearances, with Villa winning seven of those games.

The verdict

This is the ground that most players connected to Villa will surely pick, as the derby really is fierce, and it seems a great game for players to be involved in.

On the whole, Agbonlahor will have many good memories from coming up against Blues, but he clearly knew that going to St. Andrew’s was going to be difficult and there’s no doubt they do create a very good atmosphere on derby day. That is why they picked up some good results against Villa over the years, although there’s no doubt it’s a fixture that Villa has dominated in the past decade or so.

Unfortunately, it’s been a while since the two sides have met, but it’s certain to be intense whenever the next installment of the Second City derby comes up.