The stage was set for Aston Villa to make history as Hollywood superstar and celebrity fan Tom Hanks was paraded pitchside in the unfamiliar role of Champions League cheerleader before the meeting with Liverpool.
Hanks, a well-known celebrity Villa fan and clad in a claret and blue sweater, pointed out at great volume what Unai Emery and his players were on the brink of achieving after a superb season under the Spaniard’s management.
After a night of tension and drama that saw Hanks go through his full range of emotions from undisguised anguish to wild celebration, Emery and Villa can now almost reach out and touch their dream.