Dean Smith: Belief can see Aston Villa through in play-off final

Villa face Derby at Wembley with the prize of promotion to the Premier League and an estimated £170million windfall on the line.

The futures of a host of players are at stake, with Villa likely to lose skipper Jack Grealish this summer if they suffer defeat. Planned moves for loan stars Tyrone Mings and Tammy Abraham also rest on victory.

But boss Smith is backing his team to meet the challenge head-on, believing they have become battle-hardened thanks to their late-season charge into the play-offs, which included a club record 10-match winning run.

“With the momentum we have got, even if we were to go a goal down, we would have the belief and character to come back,” said Smith.

“We have done that already this season. That Rotherham game last month springs to mind.

“We went down 1-0 down and down to 10 men, but managed to turn it around and looked like the ones with the extra man in that second half.

“The players will take an awful lot from that, a lot of belief.”

Villa, who are set to be backed by around 38,000 travelling supporters, suffered heartbreak when they lost 1-0 to Fulham a year ago under Steve Bruce.

Smith, who watched that game while on holiday in the USA, insists it will have no bearing on today.

“I have not looked back at the game at all,” said. “I won’t because it doesn’t affect this game. It is about what we do. Me, Richard (O’Kelly) and Neil (Cutler) weren’t there last year so it is new for us and our medical and performance staff.

“There are staff members who have been there but our mindset is to go and do what we have been doing week-in, week-out over the last few months.”

Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, whose investment last summer saved the club from administration, are both expected to be in attendance at Wembley.

Edens is hoping for better luck after seeing the Milwaukee Bucks, the US basketball franchise he part-owns, knocked out of the NBA play-offs on Saturday night.