Mark Walters On Aston Villa, Rangers, Liverpool, England And Life After Football

An interview with Mark Walters, by Callum McFadden forWFi. You began your professional career at Aston Villa and were there during an incredible period in the club's history.

How do you reflect on your time at Villa? I lived about 500 metres from the stadium and grew up around the ground.

I used to walk to matches, even when I made my debut, so the club has always been very close to my heart. "To be involved in what turned out to be one of the most special periods in the club's history was something I was incredibly proud of.

Perhaps I became a little complacent and assumed it was normal to be part of a team that won the league, went on to win the European Cup and then lifted the Super Cup. All of that happened during my first three years as a professional.

I thought that was simply how football worked, but three or four seasons later, I realised it wasn't normal when the club were relegated. Nevertheless, to be involved with a club I had supported since I was nine or ten years old was incredibly special.

As a Villa fan, what was it like to score goals in front of the Holte End? Every time that I played at Villa Park was a special time for me.

My family were very proud, too, and they came to watch me play on several occasions. Scoring at the Holte End was the stuff of dreams when I think back to being a young boy.

My mother, in particular, was instrumental in helping me get to Aston Villa in the first place, never mind playing for the club. It was a very proud period for both myself and my family.

Your move to Rangers followed, at a time when several high-profile players, including yourself, Terry Butcher, Trevor Steven, Chris Woods and Ray Wilkins, were moving to Scotland. What attracted you to Rangers, and how important was the opportunity to work with Graeme Souness?"