Gerard Houllier has reflected on his departure from Aston Villa and admitted that it was entirely necessary; it was just too risky for both the club and his own health. He also says that the club were “still traumatised” by the nature of Martin O’Neill’s exit five days before the season started.

He apparently spoke to France Football originally, but here are the translated quotes according to Sky Sports:

Gerard Houllier
I almost died. The doctors advised me to not resume before late in August or early in September. So it was a problem.

The officials were also scared my comeback could be postponed again at that time. I can understand that. The risk exists.

They are still traumatised with what happened last year, when Martin O’Neill left five days before the start of the season. So they didn’t want such a possibility to happen again.

I am on form again and I have recovered well. Last week, I went back to the training ground for the first time, and on a human level it is a real pain to have to make such a decision. Coaching is my job, my life, my passion.

Maybe I will go on living in Birmingham for six months or one year, to have a good rest. I am in the countryside and very close to hospital and that is the perfect place.

I have to admit, I was sceptical about reports on the seriousness of his condition at the time, I figured extra caution was being employed because of his history. But he apparently said it himself: he “nearly died”. Strange, then, that he also appeared extremely determined to come back and manage again next year.

As Marsellus Wallace said to Butch Coolidge: “That’s pride f#*king with you”.

There may be some mistranslations at play, as always, but it remains quite clear that there was absolutely no other choice, he had to call it a day. And he realises that too. If he couldn’t come back fully before August or September, that would obviously hamstring pre-season preparations. Especially with games in Asia.

“Traumatised” might be a dramatic way of putting things, but it seems that the club have taken on board the lessons that were there to be learned last year. That’s encouraging as the search for his successor continues; I think we all know that Randy Lerner and Paul Faulkner have to get it right this time.