Nigel Spink: The Aston Villa legend won the European Cup in 1982, but now he runs his own courier business and drives a van
Goalie Spink became a Villans hero when he helped the club defeat Bayern Munich in 1982, but now he puts his hands to use by delivering boxes
NIGEL Spink is one of only 30 English players to have won a European Cup winners’ medal after he triumphed with Aston Villa against Bayern Munich in 1982.
He played 460 games for Villa between 1977 to 1996 – and went on to play for West Brom and Millwall before having his last stint between the sticks for Forest Green Rovers in 2001.
But those hands that saved Villa so many times during a golden era for the club are now being put to a different use – for transporting goods for his own firm S&M Couriers.
Spink, 59, said: “After I left Forest Green 16 years ago, I worked as part of Steve Bruce’s backroom staff at both Wigan and Sunderland.
“I had a rented apartment up at Sunderland which belong to when he was manager there.
“When Steve lost his job at the Stadium of Light, I had to get all my stuff and move back to the Midlands.
“One of my best friends from my Villa days, Paul Munro, came up and helped me and we had a load of fun loading up the van and bringing it all back.
“It was then that we talked and came up with the idea of running our own business and so S&M Courier launched after a lot of research and planning in 2012.
“Paul started working in the van five years ago while I was a goalkeeping coach at Bristol City in 2012. But I linked up with him at the end of the 2012-13 season.
“I enjoy every minute of it. We have some wonderful clients we work with all the time – and we’re open to anything.
“Both of us have had our vans in Villa colours – the club is still a big favourite for both of us.
“We work Monday to Friday, which is perfect because after years working every weekend and Bank Holiday as a footballer, I now get to have quality time with my family at the weekends!”
Spink also revealed he worked as a builder and plasterer before he became a footballer.
“I always wanted to have something to fall back on, but working with Paul has been a wonderful new chapter in our lives.
“I still follow the football and it’s going to be a tough rebuilding process for Steve at the Villa.
“The whole place is an immense club that should be in the Premier League. But no one has a divine right to be in a top flight.
“They’ve still got a lot of work to do to get promoted from the Championship.”
And that work has got harder. Losing last season’s heroes Sam Johnstone and John Terry, with Jack Grealish’s future in doubt, could mean Villa fans having a longer wait for promotion.