Fabian Delph Bio Send To Friend  

Aston Villa swooped to sign Delph from Leeds United for a fee believed to be in the region of £6m in August 2009.

The midfielder had been a star of Leeds' 2008-09 League One campaign as they lost to Millwall in the play-off semi-finals.

A player who started out on the books of Bradford City, he moved to the Leeds youth Academy in 2001. He actually made his first team debut on the final day of the 2006-07 season in a 2-0 Championship defeat at Derby the day after his 16th birthday.

He made just two appearances in 2007-08 before being welcomed into the team the following season.

His skillful play and lightening pace made him a favourite with the Leeds fans and he weighed in with six goals. And he earned his Under-21 debut for England against the Czech Republic in November 2008.

Numerous Premier League clubs were tracking the player towards the end of the campaign, with Newcastle United having a bid rejected.

Delph was named the League One Young Player of the Year, he won the same award for Leeds as well as their goal of the season.

Everton, Manchester City, Fulham, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur were all linked in the summer of 2009 but it was Villa who came in to complete the signing. He played 54 games for Leeds, scoring six goals.