What’s happened to Agbonlahor?

As Gabby Agbonlahor receives a second club suspension of the season, one more than his total tally of goals, Gerard Brand marks the fall of the Aston Villa striker who once gave defenders nightmares.

In November 2008, Agbonlahor’s footballing career was full of promise. An England call-up saw him play 76 minutes in a win at the Olympiastadion against Germany, four days after petrifying the Arsenal defence for his boyhood club Aston Villa in a 2-0 win at the Emirates.

He started that 2008/09 season with a seven-minute hat-trick against Manchester City, celebrating in front of the Holte End as they sang his name, an explicit take on ‘Karma Chameleon’ by Culture Club.

That song, an ode to Agbonlahor’s blistering pace, was heard home and away among Villa fans every week towards the end of last decade, but today you would struggle to hear a speck of praise for the Erdington-born forward.

His fall has been steady but depressing. Chiefly used as a striker alongside Norwegian John Carew during Martin O’Neill’s tenure, Agbonlahor enjoyed a four-year period under the Northern Irishman where he scored 50 goals and collected three England caps.

Villa earned three straight top-six finishes under O’Neill, and Agbonlahor’s pace was as integral to the system as Carew’s aerial presence, Gareth Barry’s industry in midfield and Ashley Young’s delivery.

He was top league scorer for the club in 2008/09 and 2009/10, scored two winning goals against bitter rivals Birmingham City at St Andrews and was linked with a £15m move to Arsenal, but stuck with Villa as they formed a top-four push.

“Gabby has a willingness to adapt his game and the same street footballer style and the same appetite for the game as Wayne Rooney and that comes through …

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