Brian Little recalls the flat tyre that hastened his Aston Villa exit

Brian Little has reflected on the draining end of his time as Aston Villa manager, revealing that a punctured tyre on his Jaguar sports car proved to be the final straw before his resignation in early 1998.

Speaking on The Managers podcast alongside Tony Pulis and Mick McCarthy, Little described how a decade of relentless work had left him exhausted. According to Birmingham Live, he explained that he had been responsible for scouting, negotiating with agents and players, and dealing directly with then-chairman Doug Ellis.

His spell at Villa Park included lifting the League Cup in 1996, but by the time he departed, the team sat around 15th in the league while competing in the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup. Little admitted that the pressure had begun to affect his personal life as well as his professional one.

He recalled returning home unhappy after trying to manage virtually every detail at the club. When his car suffered a puncture five minutes from the ground, he decided he could no longer continue in the role.

Little also mentioned that Peter Withe and Allan Evans later told him they would have physically restrained him had they been present when he announced his decision to leave. He acknowledged that modern standards might have prompted someone to suggest he simply take a rest rather than walk away entirely.

After leaving Villa, Little returned to management prematurely by taking charge of Stoke City, a move he now views through the lens of that earlier burnout. His comments offer a candid look back at the demands placed on managers during the 1990s.