Gabriel Agbonlahor has signed a new contract at Aston Villa, who will now try and persuade Fabian Delph and Ron Vlaar to follow suit.
Aside from brief loan spells at Watford and Sheffield Wednesday in 2005, Agbonlahor has spent his entire career in the claret and blue since initially linking up with Villa’s youth system in 1994. He has gone on to make 320 appearances for the Midlands giants, scoring 79 goals, having made his debut under David O’Leary’s tutelage in March 2006.
Capped by England three times, the 27-year-old forward was due to become a free agent when his contract expired at the end of the current campaign. However, the Birmingham-born player will now spend the next four years at his hometown club, after it was confirmed that he has signed a new deal which will run until the end of the 2017-18 season.
“It is good news for me to commit my future to the club and play the rest of my best years for Aston Villa,” said Agbonlahor. “It is a four-year deal. That is what the contract provides – it gives me the chance to play for such a big club for the next four years. I’ve always said I only wanted to play for one side and that dream has come true.”
Paul Lambert, the Villa manager, is now eager to tie Delph and Vlaar to new contracts with both set to become free agents in the summer. The latter, who saw his reputation rocket after performing admirably for Holland at the World Cup Finals in Brazil, has already been linked with a host of top clubs, whilst Delph has also enhanced his standing in the game since breaking into the England side during the early stages of the 2014-15 campaign.
Now Agbonlahor has signed a new contract, should Villa make Delph or Vlaar their next priority to follow suit? Let us know what you think by joining the discussion below.
