I agree
However in a particularly dark period for the club that saw us on the brink of disappearing forever, he was one of us. A lover of Aston Villa who as a player was capable of a magic control of the football and he helped drag us back to the PL (and the riches that it provides.) He'll always have a special place in Villa fans hearts for that.
But don't forget Andy Townsend was the last Villa captain to raise any silverware* of note and very few would mention him as a Villa legend.
*this does not count