Player #820 for Aston Villa, Stephen David Warnock played as a left back for the club between 2009-10 and 2011-12 making 103 appearances and scoring 3 goals but that was only a fraction of the story of his time with Villa.

Warnock was born in Ormskirk on 12 December 1981 and he was signed by Martin O’Neill from Blackburn Rovers for £8,100,000 in August 2009 as part of a makeover of the Villa defence that had suffered since the departure of Olof Mellberg and Martin Laursen.

Warnock made his debut appearance for Villa on Sunday, 13 September 2009, aged 27, in the win at neighbours Birmingham City.

Warnock made his debut that day alongside Richard Dunne and James Collins as part of a new look defence for Villa.

Indeed Warnock proved one of three critical and excellent defensive signings that Martin O’Neill made in his final season as Villa boss.

Warnock along with Richard Dunne and James Collins were a significant upgrade on Villa’s recent defensive options and it was no surprise that Villa went on to have their most successful season under O’Neill.

Warnock made 41 starts in his debut season and helped Villa to the League Cup final, an FA Cup Semi Final and a 6th placed finish in the Premier League.

Unlike his fellow newcomers however, Warnock’s worth to the team wasn’t allowed to continue untroubled as the reign of Gérard Houllier saw his career derailed for no apparent reason.

Under Houllier - who neither started nor finished the 2010-11 season as Villa boss - Warnock was a near ever present until the turn of the year 2011. Thereafter however madness took hold.

Houllier saw fit to ‘promote’ Warnock to his bomb squad that was already occupied by Habib Beye and removed Warnock from first team consideration or training for the remainder of the 2010-11 season.

For what reason few are sure but it began a trend of utter idiocy that future boss Paul Lambert took to new heights.

Such was the illogical treatment of Warnock and some of his successors that a player that had cost Villa over £8m was given away for free as Villa inflicted an unnecessary devaluation on themselves.

In between the madness of Houllier and Lambert however Alex McLeish brought Warnock back into the fold (40 appearances and 2 goals) and he once again proved his worth although his confidence had taken a hit and his performances were sometimes below the level that had been expected from him.

With the departure of the much maligned McLeish and the arrival Lambert, Villa’s new boss with a preferred recruitment strategy of selecting inexperienced, lower league players over experienced professionals, seemingly had no hesitation in replacing Warnock with less capable talent allowing Warnock to leave on loan and end his Villa career ahead of a permanent move to second tier Leeds United in January 2013 on a free transfer.