The man with a foot in Wolves and Aston Villa camps - and cherished FA Cup memories

Friday night under the lights at a crackling Molineux.  Midlands’ rivals Wolves and Aston Villa going toe-to-toe in front of a capacity crowd.  An atmosphere not for the faint-hearted.

Just the sort of occasion where striker Andi Weimann, formerly of both Wolves and Villa, excelled.

He might never have been the loudest or most vociferous presence in the dressing room or on the pitch at Molineux or Villa Park.

But the affable Austrian’s strong and determined demeanour, and ice-cool temperament, makes for a deadly combination when it comes to the big occasions.

With Villa, his tally of 24 goals included against Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool twice, and a late winner in a 3-2 victory against eventual Premier League champions Manchester City.

And then at Wolves? A four month loan spell over the second half of the 2016/17 campaign began with a substitute appearance at Norwich, and then a first start, in the FA Cup, against Liverpool at Anfield.

Wolves, then occupying 18th place in the Championship, emerged on the right side of a 2-1 win.  And Weimann scored again.

With Wolves ready to welcome Liverpool to Molineux again in both league and FA Cup in quick succession, that tie, nine years ago, seems a very good place to start the conversation.

Under Paul Lambert, a memorable afternoon saw Wolves spring a surprise to make their way through to the Fifth Round, with Weimann’s second goal, after Richard Stearman’s early header, ultimately proving decisive given Divock Origi’s late consolation.

“That goal and that day, those are memories you never forget,” Weimann tells the Express & Star.

“I still remember that away end being full, so many Wolves fans, and then we got the early goal and I managed to add a second.

“Helder Costa broke away with the ball and I was with him and waiting for the pass – I even put my arm up calling for it at one point!

“I thought he had maybe delayed it too much but he actually played the perfect pass.

“The keeper came out and I managed to take it around him and put it in the net.

“Liverpool pulled a goal back late on by which time I had come off, but we hung on for the win and there were some great scenes in front of all those fans at full time.”

For Weimann, being reunited even temporarily with Lambert gave him a timely boost and valuable game time after the two had first linked up to plenty of success at Villa.

Caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald and then Alex McLeish had previously given Weimann first team action at Villa Park, after he first arrived in Birmingham as a 15-year-old.

Life has pretty much come full circle for Weimann who has just returned on loan from Derby to Rapid Vienna, where he had played as a youngster before heading over to England.  

“It was during a winter break in Austria that I came over for a trial, after which I returned in the July and signed as a first year scholar,” he recalls of the launchpad to his career.

“I loved it, but at the same time I probably never thought it would happen.

“At maybe 13 or 14, I couldn’t have predicted I would be able to get over to England, and then I ended up staying for 19 years!

“From the moment I first came over in the academy and then the reserve team, I never looked back.

“The club were great in paying for flights for me to go home and my family to come over to see me, but I really relished the challenge.

“It was a dream to then go on and play for the first team in the Premier League.”

Weimann made a total of 129 appearances for Villa to score those 24 goals, 113 of the appearances coming in the Premier League.

Being able to so quickly adapt not just to English football but one of the best leagues in the world soon endeared him to the Villa Park faithful.

“I think I just have a really good work ethic and always worked as hard as I could, every training session and every match,” Weimann reflects.

“When the chances came along, I just tried to take them and, like I say, I never looked back.

“I didn’t set myself too many targets and just concentrated on the next match and being in the moment.

“Talking about it all now, it feels like just yesterday.”

Then there was Lambert.

Weimann was his sort of player, so it was of little surprise when, having moved on to Derby and found opportunities limited after a decent first season, Lambert swooped to bring him to Molineux.

“I played a few games at Villa before Paul was manager but from the moment he arrived, when I was fit, I played pretty much every game,” he says.

“I loved working with him to be fair.

“He believed in me and gave me confidence and, as a footballer, that is all you want – someone who believes in you and gives you a chance.

“Into my second season at Derby things weren’t going how I wanted them to because we had so many players and I wasn’t getting many minutes.

“I’ve always been a player who, even now, isn’t happy just sitting on the bench, I want to play football.

“When they allowed me out on loan, and it became an option to work with Paul again, I was buzzing and ready to do it.

“It was a good few months for me at Wolves and I really enjoyed it.

“I was maybe 25 or 26 and really started enjoying my football again.

“I think it was a tough job for Paul as there was a massive squad there and he was trying to rebuild a little bit, so we had some really good moments and obviously some not so good ones.

“But what he did was steady things down and obviously the season after that, with Nuno in, they went on that incredible journey for a few years with a lot of success.”

Weimann recalls discussions about whether he might have made the move to Wolves permanently under Lambert, which would have seen him become one of a small number of Austrians – Sasa Kaladjic is currently flying the flag – to permanently represent the club.

Talks over a deal initially broke down in the March, but were due to start up again at the end of the season.

By then however, it became clear Wolves were embarking on a very different path with Lambert being replaced by Nuno Espirito Santo, and a whole new direction in recruitment.

Weimann returned to Derby for an impressive season, including scoring in a win against Villa and reaching the play-offs for the second time as a Ram before moving on to Bristol City.

He became a hugely popular figure during six years at Ashton Gate, which included his most prolific league season of 22 goals after which he was named Player of the Year.

He was also captain for a time, chalking up over 50 goals in total during his time with the club.

There followed loan spells with Blackburn and West Bromwich Albion, but any unease that both Wolves and Villa fans may feel about Weimann turning out as a Baggie might be tempered by the fact that after he returned to Derby this season, he scored the only goal of the game to seal victory at the Hawthorns.

“I’ve played for three Midlands clubs and there’s a fourth which I don’t think I could ever play for,” he quips, indicating understandably that Villa rivalries likely preclude him ever joining Birmingham City!

The Wolves links have lingered for Weimann in his recent years.   Former Molineux goalkeeping coach Pat Mountain delivered the same role for Bristol City for five of his six years, whilst Danny Batth was his roommate both at Blackburn and Derby.

“Me and Danny were quite close when I was at Wolves and we stayed in touch before being in the same team again at Blackburn and Derby,” says Weimann.

“With both living in the Midlands we travelled to training together so used to joke we joined clubs as a pair.

“We’re split up again at the moment but let’s see what maybe happens in the future!”

And in terms of the future, for Weimann footballing life has turned full circle with his temporary switch to Rapid Vienna, where he had originally learned his trade before landing his big chance with Villa.

With his family still settled in the Midlands, and his 11-year-old son still a staunch Villa fan, it is Weimann who has headed back home, with several motivations behind a return to Vienna.   This means everything to him.

“One of the main reasons for me is that there is a World Cup this summer, and I’d love to be involved with the Austrian squad,” he explains.

“I was happy at Derby, I’ve been getting appearances off the bench, but I had some honest conversations with the manager (John Eustace), who I get on really well with.

“I’m 35 in the summer, it’s a World Cup year, and I’ve been on standby for the last couple of Austria squads, so I am still in and around it.

“I just wanted to get to the summer and feel like I had given it everything to make that squad, to look myself in the mirror with no regrets if I didn’t get in, and I think this was the best way of doing that.

“It has also been special to come back home, to my first club, where it was once my dream to make the first team.

“As it is it happened 19 years later, and it’s been great to play for the team which my family and I have always supported.

“I was in the hotel for the first couple of weeks but am then moving back in with my parents so it really has come full circle.

“My brother is here as well, so it’s great that they can all come and watch me without needing to travel over to England!”

His career in England, whatever should happen from the summer onwards, is a source of great pride for Weimann.

Over 550 appearances in all competitions, over 100 goals, all beyond his wildest dreams when he first came over as a young teenager.

And so, while he is temporarily away from British soil, he will certainly be keeping a close eye on the fortunes of all of his former clubs.

When it comes to Friday night’s big derby, it is understandable that he may have a greater foot in the Villa corner given his length of service in B6.

But there remains plenty of good feelings towards all at Wolves, including Head Coach Rob Edwards, who not only started his career with Villa but was the first team coach at Molineux during Weimann’s loan stay.  Including that FA Cup win at Anfield.

“It’s been a tough season for Wolves but obviously I know Rob from my time there and I wish him all the best and hope he does well,” he says.

Weimann will be watching on from afar tomorrow night, for sure!