Exclusive Chris Heck interview: Aston Villa love, his legacy and life after Villa Park

Despite spending only two years at Aston Villa, Chris Heck insists he will always have claret and blue in his veins - and he made sure the club’s Europa League triumph was shown on screens across New York.

Villa’s former president of business operations is now more than a year into the same role at breakaway rebel tour LIV Golf. The American spent just two years in the Midlands at Villa Park, but it was a period he cherishes.

“No question, I consider myself a Villan for sure,” Heck told the Express & Star as he sat down for a chat beside the driving range at JCB Golf & Country Club in Staffordshire ahead of LIV Golf UK.

“I loved my time at Villa and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ll always be a Villa supporter.

“But golf is wonderful also, and the big difference probably is that everywhere we go the weather’s perfect.”

Heck arrived at Villa Park in May 2023 with 30 years of experience in the sports industry, including nine years as president of NBA franchise Philadelphia 76ers, and left at the end of the 2024/25 season.

During his time, Villa developed new partnerships, refurbished hospitality spaces at Villa Park, and introduced ticket price increases.

“It came to a point in time whether I was either going to extend with Villa or I was going to go back home,” Heck explained on his departure.

“A very old close friend of mine is Scott O’Neil, the CEO of LIV Golf, and he was pushing me hard to join him in the venture.

“I’m a big believer of Scott, I’m a believer of what LIV Golf represents of the global game and I love the product. It was very hard for me to leave Villa but if there was the right time, this was it.”

Heck was the subject of criticism as Villa’s ticket prices increased during the 2024/25 season, with areas that fans may once have considered the ‘cheap seats’ becoming some of the most expensive.

However, he left having overseen significant changes to the matchday experience at the club, including a new club shop, ticketing offices and a fan zone. And importantly, Villa’s revenue increased by a record 37 per cent in 2025, supported in large part by its participation and run to the quarter-finals in Uefa the Champions League.

“I tell people in the United States, they can't truly comprehend how intense it is with the Premier League at the highest level and how important it is to the fans, that's something that you cannot replicate anywhere else in the world in any sport,” Heck said.

“What comes with that is a lot of responsibility, and sometimes the good days are great and the bad days are pretty rough. You take the good with the bad and I had more good days than not at Villa so I’m very grateful.”

He added: “I had a very small part, but it was a part of this club and its resurgence of being one of the top clubs in Europe, not just in England, and I’m proud of that. I take that with a badge of honour, and they’ll always be my club.”

And for that very reason, when Villa reached the Europa League final in Istanbul this year, Heck could not bear to miss it. Based at LIV Golf’s offices in New York, he ensured the historic triumph was shown on screens for his colleagues.

He explained: “I made everyone in the entire office watch it in New York because it was at about 1pm/2pm in the afternoon there.

“It was a thrill. I’ve made so many nice and lifelong friends at Villa who I was getting texts from throughout the game and afterwards. I was just really grateful that they thought of me as being a part of that too and it was a special time for the club.”

And he does not see that success as the end of Villa’s journey, adding: “I just don’t see that going away, I think things are really on the right track.

“It would be wonderful to win the FA Cup. That was one that we came pretty close to recently in the semi-finals.”

Morgan Rogers played a key role in Villa’s European success before completing a big summer move to Chelsea. Youri Tielemans also played a major part and has since joined Manchester United.

Rogers’ transfer brought a reported £117m to Villa Park, but with players including Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Emiliano Martinez linked with moves away this summer, Heck admits there is some sadness.

He continued: “I’m a little bit, I wouldn’t say disappointed, but sad that so many great players have moved out this year - and understandably to try to make room with financial fair play.

“But that’s the deal that’s why you have got to keep driving revenue and keep driving the club to bigger heights. I felt like we started that whole journey.”

While there has been transformation surrounding Villa’s squad this summer, there has also been significant change off the pitch at Villa Park. Work is under way on the club’s major £100m stadium redevelopment, which has recently seen the North Stand roof completely removed.

On his role in that process, Heck said: “We transformed a number of things.

“It was my vision to transform the warehouse into an entertainment complex that’s now complete and up and running.

“Then we did the transformation of not only the 10,000 square foot store at Villa Park but also the one in the Bullring. Those are really proud moments because I don’t claim that I did them but I was a part of it.

“We had so many people that play an important role and they should be recognised and they’ll always know that they’ve built this club up to back to the heights of where it once was.”

Heck has now been with LIV Golf for more than a year and serves as the number two in the senior leadership team headed by CEO Scott O’Neil, who headhunted him.

There, he works with golf stars including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Cam Smith, Sergio Garcia, Joaquin Niemann, Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson.

LIV Golf’s visit to JCB Golf & Country Club in Staffordshire saw Heck make a welcome return to the United Kingdom and the Midlands, not far from where he once worked.

There remains uncertainty around the future of the breakaway circuit, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund due to end its financial backing after the current season. Heck is leading the search for around £260m of fresh investment to secure its future, with reports suggesting the tour is close to agreeing new backing to continue through 2027.

Asked about LIV’s future, Heck compared it to Villa, believing the organisation is still at the start of its journey.

He said: “This is a five-year-old league. I came from a club where we celebrated 150 years in 2024 and in many ways we had a rebirth at Villa. Here we have a birth.

“It is very much a time to push for change and push for better and that’s why I’m excited about working at LIV Golf.”

He added: “We’ve spent the last 12 months transforming the business.

“We have world class athletes who are household names and the environment here is as good as any in sport.

“The business relationships we have with commercial partners, with our fans, the growth - we’ve had two events that have brought in more than 100,000 people at each.

“We're just beginning, and that's been the exciting part of this year - transforming the business to match the level of the sporting side and the product itself.”

So, while the future of LIV - and therefore his own position - remains uncertain, there is one thing Heck is confident of: Villa will finish in at least the Premier League’s top 10 next season.

Asked for his prediction for Villa’s 2026/27 campaign, Heck said: “Villa will definitely be in the top 10.

“I hope that means they will be back in Europe the year after next. I think they’ll of course be aiming to get back into the Champions League, but it’s going to be very hard for them with new players in a new system.

“I just hope they hold on to Konsa!”