Darren Bent believes Unai Emery has once again challenged and beaten some of the Premier League's top six clubs 'with his hands tied behind his back'.
For the second time in three seasons the Spaniard has overcome Aston Villa's disadvantageous financial position to qualify the club for the Champions League. More than that he has also ended their 30-year wait for a major trophy by lifting the Europa League for the fifth time in his career.
He has done so against the backdrop of spending rules which favour clubs with bigger revenues and restrict what Villa's owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens can plough into the transfer market.
As a result of Premier League and UEFA restrictions Villa had one of the lowest net-spends last summer and as a result a stuttering start to the campaign – but that didn't deter Emery who Bent says is one of the greats.
"He goes right up there," Bent said. "A couple of Champions League campaigns as well. I almost feel like he's done a lot of his work with his hands tied behind his back with the PSR rules as well.
"But he's up there. He's one of the greatest of all time in terms of, not just at Villa, when you win five Europa Leagues, that takes him doing that. That is absolutely incredible.
"And the way he's moulded Aston Villa into the way he sees them, I think it's really impressive as well. So he'll go down as an Aston Villa great for sure. I think he'll go down as a great manager in general anyway."
How Villa kick on from lifting the trophy in Istanbul will be the narrative of the summer. They will have access to the money on offer in next season's Champions League but will also be mindful of UEFA's Squad Cost Ratio regulations which, but for the odd tweak, limit clubs to spending 70 per cent of their revenues on the playing side of the operation.
Bent continued: "A lot depends on the financial situation of the football club because that's been the problem for Aston Villa, Newcastle, clubs with big owners that have got big ambition. They want to make that next step, they want to make that next jump but unfortunately PSR prevents them from doing that.
"I think Aston Villa can do it, in order for them to do it, they've got hold on to their best players and they've got to hold on to their manager.
"Now, if a Real Madrid come calling for Unai Emery, it takes a brave man to say no to that job, so that might be a worry for a Villa fan.
"And also some of your better players, people like Morgan Rogers, who I expect at the end of this season to be on everyone's shopping list because he's that good. He's just won best player in that competition as well, so he's been absolutely sensational.
"If they can hold onto the manager and a lot of their better players and then add quality to the squad, then there's no reason why they can't keep competing at this level and maybe at one point compete for the Premier League. Right now it's still bit of a stretch, but I think they can do it."
