Bulgarian midfielder Stiliyan Petrov is planning a surprise return to playing professional football, and hopes to play with Aston Villa next season.
Petrov is 36, and was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in March 2012, and following treatment, returned to playing with the Aston Villa Under-21s six months ago. The Daily Mail are now reporting that Petrov believes he can make a return to playing with the senior Aston Villa squad in the Championship next season.
In Petrov's absence, Villa have been relegated with a pitiful 16 points, in one of the most inept, spineless and gutless Premier League performances of all time. While there will be doubts surrounding Petrov's fitness, the potential influence he would exert upon the squad and the club would be a huge boost to the club in the Championship next season.
After winning a 4-year battle with leukaemia, 36-year-old Stiliyan Petrov to return to professional football as a player.
— Jim White (@JimWhite) April 26, 2016
Petrov playing for #AVFC would be all kinds of amazing.
— Freddie Shires (@fshires) April 26, 2016