BY signing for Manchester City, Fabian Delph has ensured he will probably never be able to set foot inside Villa Park again.

After completing the most dramatic of U-turns to swap Aston Villa for the Etihad Stadium, the 25-year-old midfielder is public enemy number one among the claret and blue fans.

It is easy to see why Delph has made the move.

He is an England international in the prime of his career and Villa are a club on a downward spiral.

With Tom Cleverley, Ron Vlaar and Shay Given all having left this summer, and Christian Benteke about to join them, is it any wonder Delph jumped ship?

For, whether we like it or not, football is a business and the players are commodities within that.

They have a limited career and want to make the most of it, both financially and by way of medals.

They want what is best for them, as we all do in our walk of life.

But by penning a new four-and-ahalf year contract in January and stating: “I am a loyal person and committing my future will hopefully show everybody what type of guy I am”, Delph set himself up for a fall.

Footballers often trot out such mantras yet they only come back to haunt them in the end.

He then compounded the issue by saying just last week that he wasn’t leaving for City before promptly completing an £8million transfer.

I have often been one to champion the virtues of loyalty but in reality the idea a player will stick with a club out of devotion is a wistful notion.

The likes of Steven Gerrard and Ryan Giggs are an almost extinct breed.

While fans support a club throughout their life, often having it bestowed upon them as part of family heritage, players move on.

They might kiss the badge and swear allegiance to the cause, things that are music to the ears of supporters, but, eventually, they will move on.

Delph will earn mega money at City and go on to better things, he may one day even captain his country, but he might just regret the way his time at Villa has ended.