Jack Grealish responds as Aston Villa mark key Dean Smith date

Three years ago exactly Aston Villa started their march to the Premier League with a 4-0 drubbing of Derby County.

Dean Smith's Villa tore apart the Rams at Villa Park thanks to goals from Conor Hourihane (2), Tammy Abraham and Jack Grealish all in the first half.

Grealish rounded off the scoring in injury time with a thumping volley from the edge of the penalty area from Glenn Whelan's corner.

Villa lost only once between their battering of Derby and that run of ten wins propelled them from 13th place to the play-offs and ensured they were the form team going into the end of the season.

Smith's men would beat Derby in the play-off final 2-1 at Wembley later on that season to return back into the Premier League after three seasons out.

Since then Jack Grealish has moved on to Manchester City for £100 million and only John McGinn and Tyrone Mings remain from the side that secured promotion.

Grealish was handed the captain's armband for the first time and it is a day the England star remembers fondy with his former Villa team-mates taking to social media.

Whelan tagged Grealish in a post with a picture of the players celebrating a goal.

Conor Hourihane, currently out on loan at Sheffield United, was also tagged and Grealish replied 'thank you Whelo'.

It is a significant day in Villa's recent past and one well worth celebrating.

"He had a big smile on his face and it (was) a proud moment for him because like myself he's a Villa fan," Smith said of the decision to hand the captain's armband to Grealish.

"He was brought up a Villa fan and to captain your team and score a goal like he did topped off a great day."