John Carew's one big regret

For all the golden days he enjoyed there, there is one regret which has eaten away at John Carew ever since he left Valencia.

The Villa striker will be reunited with his former employers for the first time since leaving Spain on Friday when they face off in a friendly at Villa Park for Martin O'Neill's men's last game before the start of the new campaign.

Carew has been looking forward to the match since it was arranged with the Norway star having enjoyed four years at the Mestalla during a successful spell which saw them crowned kings of Spain for the first time in 31 years.

But after agonisingly missing out on club football's biggest prize of all, the Champions League - to Bayern Munich via penalties in 2001 - Carew can't help but feel his time there was tinged with regret.

"I had some of the best memories of my career at Valencia," he said. "We had a fantastic team at the time. We were Champions League contenders every year.

"We were playing against the best teams in Europe every year and beating most of them. It was fantastic.

"The memory which sticks with me most is of course the Champions League final. We played a great game that night but unfortunately we lost on penalties. We had led in the game. It was devastating.

"It would have meant so much to have a Champions League medal. It's the biggest prize in club football.

"At the time I was hoping I'd get another chance again. I played in some great games, but unfortunately I don't have a medal.

"Valencia was probably the strongest team in Europe 10 years ago. We won the Spanish league and that was the best league in the world at the time.

"They got to the final of the Champions League two seasons in a row. It's something I'm very proud about."

Carew, who arrived in the Midlands in 2007, is looking forward to catching up with some of his old team-mates and says it is vital Villa face top-notch opposition to sharpen them up for Premier League combat.

"I think Vicente, Albelda and Marchena are still there, they were all top players and that is the sort of opposition you want to be coming up against in pre-season.

"It's very important to match the level of teams you're going to be coming up against in the Premier League. Feyenoord and Benfica came into that category in the Guadiana Cup and so too do Valencia.

"It would be stupid to come up against teams who aren't that good and then suddenly have to play in the Premier League.

"You would be struggling."