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Tim Sherwood is still seething at Tom Fox’s decision to appoint Hendrik Almstadt as Aston Villa’s first ever sporting director.

German Almstadt, who had a background of business and economics, followed Fox from Arsenal to Villa Park in 2015 and played a leading role in Villa’s recruitment that summer.

Sherwood has often distanced himself from several of the players Villa signed the summer before the relegation campaign of 2015/16 and has once again taken aim at the club’s old regime.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Debate recently, Sherwood questioned the role of a sporting director.

He said: “Tom Fox, who came from Arsenal, brought someone in. Hendrik what’s his name - I don’t know his name.

“He crunched the numbers, he learnt the game from a screen, and he tried to justify everything by that. He was a very bright guy, an academic, and he was selling it to the chairman with the pie charts and the grids.

“It totally took all of the recruitment away from me. He thought it was a good idea that (Christian) Benteke was sold, and Fabian Delph, Tom Cleverley wasn’t signed again and Ron Vlaar. That was the core, the foundation of my side, and to replace them we brought in some guys from French football who had no experience of the Premier League before.

"But they were brought in without my wishes. It’s difficult when you’re the manager and you’ve got to deal with a group of players… I had to be part of it (recruitment), 100 per cent I had to be part of that.

“Even if they wanted to spend 10 quid, it had to be my 10 quid.”

Since leaving Villa in 2015 Sherwood hasn’t been able to find a route back into management. The 49-year-old briefly enjoyed a stint as director of football at Swindon Town but left following their relegation to League Two in 2017.