Aston Villa exile Ross McCormack has admitted that it will be unlikely that he can fashion a career at the club following the exit of former boss Steve Bruce but refused to shut the door on a shock return.
The Scottish international joined the Villans back in 2016 in a £12million deal but after just 24 appearances found his cast away from the first team by Bruce in a public disagreement, and has yet to feature again.
Currently on loan in Australia with the Central Coast Mariners after a stint with Melbourne City last season, the 32-year-old admitted his hope for a return to the first team had gone but refused to say never over a shock comeback.
He told Fairfax Media, as quoted by the Express and Star: “I can’t see it, to be honest. That ship has probably sailed, but it’s hard to say. I’ve still got another year left after this season, so you can never say never.
“I’d probably be surprised if that changed something for me.”
Opinion
You would not be the only surprised one Ross, with the Villa Park faithful probably more shocked by the fact he still has another year to go on his contract. It seems a waste of a proven Championship goal scoring talent to have him playing in Australia, but there was never a chance of a comeback while Bruce was still at the helm. Some might have thought that Dean Smith’s arrival in the dugout might have handed McCormack a lifeline, and that he might well be given the chance to redeem himself, but it appears that the player himself is not holding out any hope. As he says, he is contracted to Villa until 2020 and a lot can change in a year and a half, but chances are the club would rather cash in on him before he becomes a free agent. Only time will tell if he is to be given the chance to shine again for Villa, but the supporters should not be holding their breath for anything to happen.