“I’m desperate to play Champions League football and that’s why I have to leave Villa.”

Well September has come and gone, so even Gareth Barry must now realise that Manchester City are not actually in the Champions League this season, and as things stand, are only nestling in a UEFA Cup spot. Which makes his return to Villa Park all the more tricky tonight, in light of the above comments he made before being offered £110,000 per week.

Villa fan forums are split regarding the expected reaction from the Holte End. On the one hand, you have a man who was a great ambassador for the club, left them with 12 years of memories, and perhaps above all, a stellar campaign last season despite clearly wanting to be at Anfield.

The case for the booing is equally compelling. Three transfer requests in his last five years, a plethora of utterly anonymous performances before he needed to impress watching England managers and ultimately leaving Villa purely for cash.

Villa fans - click below the jump to have your say on your former captain.