The 24-year-old joined Villa on loan from Strasbourg at the end of last summer, but after David O’Leary declared that his new signing was a long way from full fitness, he has never broken into the first team. Drobny will turn out against Newcastle United reserves this evening, and his involvement in the club has been limited to Kevin MacDonald’s team.
“It was very nice for me to work with Kevin because he is doing a great job here,” the centre-back said. “It’s just how things have worked out. I will go back to the Czech Republic tomorrow and then re-join Strasbourg for next summer. I really expected I would get a chance but it never happened, so I can only forget this year and look forward because I want to get back in the Czech squad for the World Cup.
Drobny’s failure does not quite rank alongside those of Bosko Balaban or Peter Crouch, if only because there was no signing fee. But with the prospect of £20m to spend in the summer, O’Leary will no doubt be scouring the continent for crocked players to sign as he attempts to emulate his predecessors.