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Aston Villa Supporters Trust have issued a statement following the announcement that chief executive Paul Faulkner is to leave the club.

In it, AVST express their concern that Faulkner’s impending departure will heighten the uncertainty at Villa Park and Bodymoor Heath.

The supporters also thank Faulkner for his contribution to the claret and blues and offer their support to interim CEO Robin Russell.

Here is the AVST statement in full

“The Aston Villa Supporters Trust was surprised by this morning’s announcement that Paul Faulkner is to step down as Chief Executive of Aston Villa. In conjunction with yesterday’s statement from the Chairman, that suggests no takeover is imminent, this announcement only heightens the uncertainty amongst our support at what is a difficult time for everyone associated with the club.

AVST would hope that this announcement has no bearing on our preparations for the forthcoming campaign, where there is still much to be done in respect of player recruitment before the transfer window closes. This is the primary concern amongst supporters at this time.

We would like to thank Paul for his contribution to Villa over the years and, in particular, for his approachability and willingness to engage with supporters. We wish him the all the best for whatever his future may hold.

AVST would also like to give our support to Robin Russell in his interim role as Chief Executive. We trust that he will work tirelessly in the coming weeks to ensure that our transfer targets are dealt with swiftly and that there will be an early resolution to the contract situation of three senior members of the playing squad.

Finally, we would like to reiterate that we hope the sale process is concluded as quickly as possible, in order that the uncertainty surrounding the club can be removed and so that we can look forward to Aston Villa being a competitive force on the field again.”