When Martin O'Neill took charge of Aston Villa in August 2006, his first move in the transfer market was to recruit Stiliyan Petrov, a player he had worked with at previous club Celtic. The Bulgarian, then 27, had developed into one of the most influential players in the Scottish game, winning four league championships in his seven seasons at the club. Despite a slow start in the Premier League, his ceaseless industry garnered the respect of his team-mates and was rewarded with a steady improvement in his form. When it was announced on Friday that he had been diagnosed with acute leukaemia, he had become the captain of Alex McLeish's Villa side and one of the club's, and league's, most consistent performers.
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