Spotlight: Q&A With Former Aston Villa Defender Shaun Teale

In the latest edition of ‘Spotlight‘, Villa Underground contributor Adam Holt spoke to former Villa centre-half Shaun Teale.

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I recently had the great opportunity to do a quick Q&A with ex-Aston Villa centre-back Shaun Teale.

Teale made a total of 147 appearances for Villa in four successful seasons at Villa Park, after signing from Bournemouth in 1991.

Teale was well-known for being a ‘no-nonsense’ defender and was a great asset during his time in claret & blue. 

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Teale was part of the Villa side that won the League Cup in 1994 and the squad that came close runners-up to Manchester United in the inaugural Premier League season (1992/93).

He bid farewell to Aston Villa in 1995, when he signed for Tranmere Rovers.

For this Q&A, I asked Shaun about why he joined Villa, his Villa career highlights and why he decided to leave Villa for Tranmere in 1995.

Let us begin…

You signed for Villa from Bournemouth in 1991. What persuaded you to choose Aston Villa as your next club?

It was a no brainer really, Villa were in Division 1 [Now Premier League], so it was a chance to play in the top league against top players. 

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There was bigger success to come, but how did you feel finishing 7th in your first season at the club?

Finishing 7th was a successful season given that we had signed virtually a new team.

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In the first Premier League season (92/93), you were in a Villa team that finished as runners up in the inaugural Premier League season. How disappointing was it to only just miss out on the title?

It was a massive disappointment given we were clear favourites at one point.

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I am assuming the 1993/94 campaign was a highlight of your Villa career, winning the League Cup. Just how good did it feel to win some silverware for the club?

Winning silverware was a great feeling and really satisfying given the hard work we had put in.

Were there any other highlights of your Villa career?

My biggest highlight was in the Spring playing in the Semi-Final and taking a penalty in the shootout to get us to Wembley. 

What was Ron Atkinson like as the manager, and how did you feel when he was sacked in the 93/94 season and what did Brian Little do when he came in to inspire the team to secure survival?

For the first 3 years of my Villa career Ron (Atkinson) was okay he was good at keeping the media off the players. However, I found another side to Ron (Atkinson) in my last year and was glad when he was sacked as it affected me personally.

Brian (Little) just did things his own way on a personal basis and he put me back in the team. 

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You left Villa for Tranmere in 1995, was it emotional leaving the club?

It was a sad day for me but in footballing terms it had to happen.

I hope you enjoyed reading this quick Q&A with Shaun Teale. Hopefully there will be more to come in the future!

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