Aston Villa employed Paul Lambert between 2012 and 2015, a period of struggle under Randy Lerner as they fought to maintain Premier League status while slimming the wage bill and scouting lower leagues and Europe. There were highlights, notably Christian Benteke, sold for four times his fee, but overall recruitment brought more failures than successes. Here's a look at what became of his 20 permanent signings.
Christian Benteke
The Belgian striker scored consistently before Liverpool triggered his £32.5m buy-out clause in 2015. He moved to Crystal Palace for £27m, scoring 20 goals in his first season, and later played for DC United under Wayne Rooney. In January 2024, aged 35, he joined UAE club Al Wahda. Benteke said: "I'm so grateful for my time at Aston Villa; it was the best time of my career."
Joe Bennett
Bennett left in 2016 after learning he was third-choice left-back. Signed from Middlesbrough in 2012, he never won over fans and had loans at Brighton, Bournemouth, and Sheffield Wednesday. Tony Xia blocked a permanent move to Wednesday, so he joined Cardiff City, who beat Villa to promotion. He made 170 appearances for Cardiff before moving to Wigan and Oxford United, now playing for Walton & Hersham.
Matt Lowton
Lowton, signed in July 2012, was popular under Lambert but fell out of favour under Tim Sherwood. Known for his forward runs and a volley at Stoke, he moved to Burnley in 2015, helping them secure and consolidate in the Premier League. He joined eighth-tier Witton Albion in 2023 and later played for UAE second division side Precision.
Jordan Bowery
Bowery arrived from Chesterfield for £500,000 on deadline day in 2012 but failed to score, making only six starts and 16 substitute appearances. He was loaned to Rotherham, then moved to Oxford, Leyton Orient, Crewe, MK Dons, and Mansfield Town, where he still plays.
Joe Cole
Cole, signed at 32 from West Ham, made five starts and 11 sub appearances, scoring once. He was loaned to Coventry, then joined them on a free after his Villa contract was cancelled. He later played for Tampa Bay Rowdies, retired in 2018, and returned to Chelsea as a technical academy coach, now a TV pundit.
Philippe Senderos
Senderos, a free agent from Valencia, signed a two-year deal in 2014. He made eight starts and one sub appearance, helping Villa keep three clean sheets early in 2014-15. He left in 2016 to join Grasshoppers, then Rangers, Houston Dynamo, and Chiasso before retiring three months later.
Kieran Richardson
Richardson had a short spell at Cardiff before being released in 2017. He trained with Granada under Tony Adams but never played. After retiring, he became a luxury watch dealer.
Ron Vlaar
Vlaar left Villa in 2015 with injuries, then joined AZ Alkmaar, playing until retirement. He was linked with Carlisle United's managerial post but became an assistant manager for AZ's U21 team and does media work in the Netherlands.
Yacouba Sylla
Sylla made 22 league appearances in two years. He later played for Montpellier, Rennes, Panathinaikos, Mechelen, Stromsgodset, Cluj, Virton, and Châteauroux. Now 35, he is a free agent.
Karim El Ahmadi
The Moroccan midfielder made 57 appearances in two seasons, scoring three times. He returned to Feyenoord in 2014, leading them to the Eredivisie title, and later played for Al-Ittihad. He now works as a mentor and coach for young players.
Antonio Luna
Luna scored on his Premier League debut against Arsenal but was involved in a sex tape scandal. He denied consent for its release. He left Eibar for Levante, then played for Volos in Greece and Dinamo Bucuresti. Now 34, he plays for Antequera.
Nicklas Helenius
The striker struggled in England and became addicted to sleeping pills. He returned to Aalborg on loan, then permanently in 2015, later playing for Paderborn, Silkeborg, Odense, and Aarhus. He still plays for Aalborg. He revealed a bacterial infection caused depression and fear of death: "It was solely my disease that caused me to need people around me."
Aleksandar Tonev
The Bulgarian midfielder made 17 forgettable appearances. He finished his career with Botev Plovdiv and now runs a construction business.
Ashley Westwood
Westwood left for Burnley in 2017 after four-and-a-half years. He was an important part of Burnley's squad before moving to Charlotte FC in MLS, where he plays under Dean Smith. He said: "I took a lot of stick at Aston Villa; it was hard for my family."
Leandro Bacuna
Bacuna joined Reading for £1.5m in 2017 after Steve Bruce deemed him surplus. He later moved to Cardiff for £4m, trained with brother Juninho at Birmingham, returned to Groningen, and now plays for Iğdır FK at 34.
Carlos Sanchez
Sanchez spent 2016-17 on loan at Fiorentina, which became permanent. He later played for Espanyol, West Ham, and San Lorenzo.
Aly Cissokho
Cissokho moved to Malatyaspor after being told he had no future at Villa. He later played for Antalyaspor, Lamphun Warrior, and Muangthong United. Now 37, he plays again for Lamphun.
Libor Kozak
Kozak made only 12 starts and 10 sub appearances in three-and-a-half years, scoring four goals early on. He returned to Italy with Bari, Livorno, and Arezzo, then played in the Czech Republic and Switzerland. He ended at Opava at 35.
