Can Fabian Delph round-off a successful season for ex-Whites? TSS May 27, 2015 Leeds United 2 Comments Fabian Delph could round off an impressive season for ex-Whites if Aston Villa can overcome the odds to win the FA Cup this weekend. Arsenal, the current holders of the FA Cup, are considered massive favourites to retain their crown, which is no surprise considering Villa finished the season in 17th – just 3 points clear of the relegation zone – while Wenger’s Arsenal side finished 3rd. Odds on an Aston Villa victory are around the 5/1 mark and if you fancy a flutter, Bwin’s free bet offer gives new clients a £30 bonus you can use for a risk-free bet on the match. While the odds are stacked against Villa, all the expectation and pressure is on Arsenal so an upset can’t be ruled out. If Villa are to lift the trophy, expect Fabian Delph to play a pivotal role. The ex-Whites midfielder, who was sold by Ken Bates in 2009 before returning on loan briefly a year later, has been a key figure in Villa’s journey to the final, scoring winning goals in a quarter final derby against West Brom and the semi-final against Liverpool. Aside from the Intertoto Cup (which is a now abandoned summer tournament that used to award a place in the UEFA Cup) Villa’s last trophy came in 1996 when Leeds United failed to turn up to League Cup final and were hammered 3-0 at the old Wembley. Aston Villa have however enjoyed considerable success in the FA Cup, last reaching the final in 2000 and having won the trophy on 7 different occasions, though their most recent (and only post-war) win dates back to 1957. Success for ex-Whites If Delph does go on to lift his first piece of silverware on Saturday afternoon, he’ll be joining several ex-Whites, many of whom were part of our League One promotion squad, celebrating a memorable end to the season. Simon Grayson, Jermaine Beckford, Neil Kilkenny and Paul Huntington were promoted to the Championship via the League One play-off final with Preston North End on Sunday before Jonny Howson and Bradley Johnson won promotion back to the Premier League with Norwich City in the Championship play-off final the following day. Meanwhile, another ex-White is the subject of interest from three of the Premier League’s biggest clubs. Local-born James Milner has been offered a massive contract to remain at Manchester City, who’ll need to recruit several homegrown players this summer to meet the Premier League rules. Despite the offer and plenty of playing time this season, Milner is mulling over a transfer to Arsenal or Liverpool as he seeks guarantees of regular first team football. It’s not all been smiles and good news for ex-Whites however as Robert Snodgrass, who spent a lot of last season sidelined through injury, saw his Hull City side relegated from the Premier League on Saturday.