Forward

Date Of Birth: 22/1/71
Born: Sone, Staffordshire
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 12st 2lb
Debut: v Los Angeles Galaxy (a)
Transfer Fee: £7,000,000 (AS$14,000,000)
International Honours: England
Previous Clubs: Walsall, Wolves, Crystal Palace, Southend, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool

PROFILE

As a life-long Villa fan Stan realised a boyhood dream when he joined the club from Liverpool for a club record fee of £7 million at the beginning of the 97/98 season. He started his professional career at Crystal Palace but really shot to prominence at Southend and later at Nottingham Forest before making a £8.5 million move to Liverpool in 1995.

Despite being a huge on field success at Anfield Stan became unsettled in the North and so it came as no surprise when he was tempted to Villa Park. Although he struggled in his first season at Villa as a series of off-field incidents took their toll he is sure to regain the form that made him an England international and one of the most coverted strikers in the Premiership.

He is an enigmatic performer who on his day can be unstoppable, an abundance of pace and strength mean Collymore is at his most deadly when running down on the opponents' defences. However, his dominance in air means he can be equally dangerous at set-pieces.

Missed the start of the season through injury but celebrated his return to full fitness with a hat-trick against Stromsgodset in the UEFA Cup to see Villa through.