Aaron Tshibola has embarked on a fresh challenge abroad
Former Aston Villa player Aaron Tshibola
Former Aston Villa player Aaron Tshibola
Former Aston Villa midfielder Aaron Tshibola has turned over a new chapter in his career.
The 30-year-old has been plying his trade in Greece since the second half of last season, having joined Lamia from Hatta Club in the UAE.
He made 12 appearances for Lamia and scored twice, which was enough to impress Greek Super League rivals Levadiakos.
The move to Levadiakos this summer is the 11th of Tshibola’s career since joining Villa in 2016.
He has embarked on journeys to Scotland, Belgium, Portugal, Turkey, Cyprus, Dubai, and now Greece in his career.
Tshibola signed for Villa as a youngster from Reading back in 2016, following the club's descent into the Championship, and reportedly cost in the region of £5m - a deal sanctioned by then-owner Dr Tony Xia.
Tshibola arrived having represented England at youth level, but aside from scoring a late goal in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United shortly after joining, his spell at Villa Park never caught fire. Following a change of manager and the arrival of Steve Bruce, he left for Nottingham Forest on loan the following January.
Tshibola also had a loan spell with Milton Keynes Dons while a Villa player, and he spent 18 months north of the border with Kilmarnock in Scotland's top flight.
Tshibola told The Sun back in 2020 of his time at Villa: “They had just come down and it was a massive transition for the club and they were trying to heal the pain of being relegated - a club of such magnitude that was obviously hard to take.
“It was a different type of challenge, I had gone from a family club and having the utmost support and care to one where it is everyone for themselves.
"I did feel like I was in my zone and finding my feet really quickly, but it wasn’t like Reading, you had to deal with things there and then, alone."