'I was the most hated guy in Birmingham. I ignored the graffiti and I never got a penny to spend at Villa. I was given one simple goal: finish as high as possible without spending' Alex McLeish on swapping Birmingham City for Aston Villa

"Crossing the city was a tough one because, apparently, I was the most hated guy in Birmingham, he tells FourFourTwo now. I never took all that as seriously as perhaps the fans believed."

"I ignored the graffiti and stuff that was written about me, McLeish said. I never got a penny to spend at Villa. I was given one simple goal: finish as high as possible without spending money."

In 2011, Alex McLeish transitioned from managing Birmingham City to Aston Villa, risking his legacy after winning the League Cup with Birmingham. His move angered both sets of fans, as he switched directly between fierce rivals shortly after achieving success. McLeish faced significant backlash, including defacement of Villa's training ground. Despite the challenges, he managed to keep Villa from relegation that season, although he did not have any budget for new players and was tasked with finishing as high as possible without spending.

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