Special shirt gave from Olof Mellberg to the 3200 Aston Villa fans when he played his last game for the club. the side finished 6th in the Premier League during Martin O’Neill’s second season at Villa Park. This season was the first to feature the club's new crest and was also the first in a five-year partnership with Nike. Defender Martin Laursen was imperious at the back winning the Supporters’ Player of the Year award whilst John Carew finished the season as top scorer with 13 goals including two in a 5-1 rout over cross-city rivals Birmingham City