Seven-time English champions Villa, who last won the top-flight title in 1981 before clinching the European Cup the following year, finished 20th in the league last season to drop to the second tier for the first time since 1987.
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Newlywed new boy Tommy Elphick insists cutting short his honeymoon to sign for Aston Villa was “the least I could do”.
Elphick has signed a three-year contract with Aston Villa on Monday after transferring from Bournemouth for £3m, Sky Sports reports.
‘He is a fantastic player and also a fantastic character which is very important.
And Di Matteo, who was officially unveiled as the new Villa boss on Wednesday, said: “We are going to have our rules, our code of conduct and if someone steps outside there are certainly going to be consequences”.
Villa were relegated from the Premier League last season with just three wins – and several off-field incidents compounded their sorrows.
Further signings are expected as Di Matteo, backed by new owner Tony Xia, looks to transform a squad which finished rock bottom of the Premier League into Championship contenders.
But injury curtailed Elphick’s first season in the top flight but six of his 12 top-flight appearances came at the end of the campaign.
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Bournemouth paid only £175,000 to sign Elphick from Brighton in 2012 and he was a key man in the Cherries’ rise up to the Premier League.
