The Ulsterman was given his senior break at Villa by then manager David O'Leary.
He told Villa's match programme: “I first started coming over to Villa on trial when I was 12 and then I’d be over in the school holidays, spending time at Bodymoor Heath. I signed when I was 14 with the idea of moving over when I finished school at 16. I moved across when I was 16 and then I was in digs full-time.
“It was a big move because I was a kid moving away from home. I’d got to know the group that I was joining because I’d been over so regularly, which made the transition easier. I was excited to follow my dream of becoming a professional footballer. I moved into digs in Wylde Green for a couple of years with a really nice family that I’m still in touch with now.
"I had a great grounding with the coaching I had with Gordon Cowans, a club legend, Tony McAndrew and Kevin MacDonald. They saw I had a good attitude and that I tried to improve myself every day. They wouldn’t let anyone get too far ahead of themselves. It was a great place for me to start my career and it was the right decision to sign for Villa.”