Eric Black: Aston Villa's former caretaker boss leaves club

Villa picked up just one point in Eric Black's seven matches in charge

Former Aston Villa caretaker manager Eric Black has left the relegated club following the appointment of new boss Roberto di Matteo.

The ex-Aberdeen, Metz and Scotland striker, 52, was brought in as coach in January and took charge of the last seven games of the Premier League season after Remi Garde's departure.

He was officially the man at the helm when Villa were relegated on 16 April.

Di Matteo's two main backroom men will be Kevin Bond and Steve Clarke.

Black began his playing career under Sir Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen, helping the Dons win the European Cup Winners' Cup in Gothenburg in 1983.

He then spent five seasons playing for Metz, where he became fluent in French.

After his playing days ended, he managed both Motherwell and Coventry City, before becoming number two to Steve Bruce first at Birmingham City, then also at Wigan Athletic and Sunderland.

He then worked for Blackburn Rovers and briefly at Blackpool before becoming number two to Steve Evans at Rotherham United.

Black began the first of last season's two stints as a caretaker boss when Evans left the Millers in October, but was kept on under new boss Neil Redfearn until getting the call from Garde to go to Villa.

His departure continues the shake-up following the takeover by Dr Tony Xia, which has also seen chairman Steve Hollis make his expected departure.

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