An ode to Aston Villa "target" Hiroshi Kiyotake

Here's to you, Hiroshi Kiyotake. The man who was seemingly linked with Villa at every instant of the last two transfer windows. The man who is still seemingly loved by Villa fans in their dreams of summer signings.

Here's to you, Hiroshi Kiyotake. The man who was subbed out 14 times in 32 Bundesliga starts this campaign. The man that took 50 shots this campaign and managed all of three goals. The man who has just one goal in 18 appearances at FIFA tournaments for Japan.

Here's to you, Hiroshi Kiyotake. The man regarded as the best player on a team that succumbed to the Bundesliga drop with an impressively poor 26-point haul. The man regarded as the leader of a side that didn't win a match until January 25 and lost their last seven matches when just two measly points in the last seven would have been enough to keep Der Klub's Bundesliga hopes alive.

Here's to you, Hiroshi Kiyotake. The man who was benched in that vital last match of the season when a win would have been enough to send Der Klub to the play-off with Greuther Fürth rather than straight to der Zweite.

Oh yeah, and the man who was named as a member of Deutsche Welle's worst Bundesliga XI of the campaign.

Yes, that's right, every Villa fan's favourite £10 million man was named to the German international broadcaster's worst team of the year. Despite his modest eight assist tally—it would've led Villa this year—he was criticized for his performances that helped lead to Nürnberg's record eighth relegation from Germany's top-flight.

So, yes, here's to you, Hiroshi Kiyotake. Hey, at least you weren't described as a "huge let-down at pivotal moments" or the "worst value for money in the entire league" like Rafael van der Vaart, right?